Generation X
by ECSL2022
Summary: Join Jaden and his friends for an exciting and emotional year at Duel Academy, as they struggle to balance their social lives with dueling and saving the island from a mysterious man who calls himself the chairman. A crossover of the manga/anime. More competent Chazz. No OCs. (JadenxAlexis)
1. Welcome to Duel Academy

**Welcome to my first story.** **It's a crossover of the anime and the manga... sort of. I decided to write after re-watching bits of the series.**

 **Chazz will have a way bigger role in this story than he did in the anime. I didn't like how he was sidelined so much in the anime, even though he was supposed to be Jaden's biggest rival. He will have Light and Darkness Dragon as his ace monster.**

 **Alexis will also play a big role in the story, as she is probably the most under-used character in the show. For now, I plan to make Jaden and Alexis endgame, even though they are going to be shipped with other characters.**

 **Jesse will enroll in the academy with the others.**

 **Jaden will use his anime deck without Neos for the first bit, while Koyo and Midori will also be a part of the plot.**

 **There will be no original cards, or ones that I would make up on my own. They will all be cards that were shown in the anime, manga, or released in the card game. Most of the cards will have their anime effects, some will have their TCG effects, and others will be from the manga. I'll keep it consistent throughout the story though. (ie. E-Hero Bubbleman's will have its anime effect throughout the whole story, instead of just for one duel.)**

 **No important OC's; I might include one here and there, but their roles will be extremely minor, like maybe just to fill in the numbers.**

 **No Pendulum, Synchro, or XYZ, because they aren't a part of the GX timeline... I might use cards that were made after the GX timeline, but mostly cards with general effects. The only other case I can see myself using cards outside the GX timeline is when I need supports for characters' decks, but that's really unlikely.**

 **Here we go.**

 **I am also using the English dub names.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh**

 **Edit: I apologize for the delay in updates, as I haven't updated in a year. I have been busy with deadlines and extra-curriculars. I was meaning to update sooner, but I realized a huge flaw in the plot, and decided to re-construct the plot all over again. Because of these changes in the plot, I have deleted the original story, and re-written the first three chapters. I will posting them throughout the next two weeks, while I work on other chapters.**

* * *

Duel Academy was known for its elite status in the dueling world. It was a high school dedicated to training duelists to compete in the Pro League, established by the famous Seto Kaiba: a multi-billionaire tycoon with an accomplished dueling career. He opened the Academy nine years ago on an isolated island, which took a couple hours to reach from the coast of Japan via plane. Ever since opening day, thousands of students applied to the school every year in hopes of getting accepted, and only a percent of these students would get past the entrance exams, which was conducted by a highly trained staff of evaluators with outstanding dueling skills and years of experience.

On the final portion of entrance exams, the evaluators were required to duel the applicants. They were often told to duel in a certain way to test the students, rather than dueling at full strength. In most cases, they were forbidden to use their own deck, and had to use ones that were designed for the exams. If they didn't hold back and used their real decks, the administrators worried that the duel would end too quickly, and the evaluators wouldn't be able to assess the students properly.

It was only a few days ago, when one of the male evaluators, Vellian Crowler, had completely lost it after being mistaken for a woman by one of the students. It seemed like he wanted to prove a point by walking all over the poor student in front of a small audience, consisting of other applicants and staff members. Crowler did not hold back, even managing to summon his legendary card, 'Ancient Gear Golem.' The crowd was even more shocked when the student, Jaden Yuki, found a way to destroy 'Ancient Gear Golem,' then won the duel.

The academy had taken the next few days to accept some students, and cut most of the others through mail. Those who were accepted were sent an academy duel disk, a PDA, an order form for a dorm jacket and tracksuit, a letter that indicated their ranking and dorm in the school, and a free plane ticket.

Even though the students were occupied with packing for life at the academy, they still hadn't forgotten what they had witnessed a few days back. Jaden Yuki had combined Elemental Hero Flame Wingman and Skyscraper to beat one of the most decorated professors at the school. The duel was what everyone was talking about on the plane ride to the academy.

"The kid pretty much ended Crowler's career!"

"Do you think he's better than Chazz Princeton?"

"No way, Princeton's a three time national junior champion, but he is pretty close."

"I still can't believe that he won…"

"He's probably the best first year at the academy."

Chazz Princeton scowled, taking a window seat, trying to tune out the constant raving about Jaden's win against Crowler. It was getting annoying to be honest. He didn't see what was so great about this Jaden guy. He admitted he was impressed that Jaden managed to destroy 'Ancient Gear Golem,' but that was all he did. There was no strategy involved, except nerf up Flame Wingman with Skyscraper then abuse its effect. Being a three time national junior champion, it would take a lot more than that to impress him.

A couple students had walked by, eyeing the empty seat next to Chazz, and then looking up at him. Chazz glared at them, strongly suggesting that they should keep their head down and keep walking. He didn't have any time for these losers. He was here for one reason and one reason only. He was going to be the next duel king, and so far he was living up to that title. Chazz hadn't lost a single duel in the last three years.

He had kept winning, even without his ace monster, Light and Darkness Dragon. He had taken the dragon out of his deck for the finals of his third national championship, storing the card in a sapphire box that he always kept with him. He couldn't face his partner, not after all that's happened...

Some boy with teal hair jutted backwards was approaching the empty seat next to him. Chazz sighed. 'They never learn.' He prepared to glare at the boy and chase him off, but he probably should have paid more attention to what was crawling under his seat.

Chazz's black eyes widened, as he nearly pissed his pants. A small, dark blue cat had climbed on to Chazz's lap by clawing at his groin. The cat had a red orb attached to its tail and looked up at Chazz with circular ruby eyes. The thing then began clawing at his stomach. Chazz tensed up until he noticed that he could not feel its paws making contact with him. 'Strange…Could this cat be a duel spirit as well?'

"Now, now Ruby you need to tone it down." The teal haired boy said, as he took a squat next to Chazz.

"What the hell is that thing?" Chazz gasped.

The boy gave Chazz a confused look, before turning his eyes to cat. He seemed to realize that Chazz was talking about 'Ruby.'

"Oh. You're talking about her. She's my partner Ruby Carbuncle. Ruby for short." The boy said casually, before his brows narrowed, with his mouth wide open. He seemed to be thinking about something. "Wait you can see her?!"

"Do you think I'm blind or something?"

The boy whistled at his cat. Ruby got off Chazz's lap and climbed on to her partner's laps. He chuckled, "No, no, it's not like that. You see Ruby is not real. She's a duel spirit and I thought I was the only who could see her. Do you have a partner?"

Chazz thought about Light and Darkness Dragon, and how things used to be... They were partners, weren't they?

"HE ABSOLUTELY DOES!" A unison of voices shouted in excitement, as Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black materialized in front of them. They angled themselves sideways, so that Chazz and the boy could see their rear ends. They started shaking their strawberry colored panties obnoxiously with the toothiest of grins threatening to rip open their disproportionate heads.

"Fuck." Chazz growled, "You guys aren't funny you know that!"

He was sick of his Ojamas showing up at the most inappropriate moments, and ruining his day. They were so annoying and even more distracting. He regretted buying the pack that contained the trio.

Chazz couldn't forget the time his junior high history teacher was lecturing his class on Atlantis. The Ojama trio was distracting him, so he had told them to shut up or he'd end their lives. The teacher not being able to see duel spirits thought that Chazz was threatening him, and he had almost got expelled... All he could say about that experience was that he almost traded his Ojama cards away afterwards.

"No. No we are not. We were never partners, and I will never consider you guys my partners."

Jesse chuckled awkwardly at their little exchange.

"Boss is right! We're not partners; we're best friends!" Ojama Yellow responded.

"Best friends forever!" Black chimed in.

"How do you think he wins all these national championships? It's all us baby!" Green beat his chest with his arm in pride.

"I'm going to kill you." Chazz muttered between his heavy breaths.

"Of course! Why didn't I think of adding Ojama cards to my deck?" The boy added.

"Don't encourage them…"

"You know you seemed like a scary guy at first, but the fact that you have these guys in your deck make me think that you're a bit softer than you let on. I think we'll get along just fine. The name's Jessie Anderson by the way." He said chuckling.

"Chazz Princeton. Remember the name."

"See you're trying to act tough by telling me to remember your name, but the Ojamas' dancing isn't making you any tougher."

"Whatever." Chazz rolled his eyes.

"This is going to be a great year," Jesse smirked.

"Fuck off."

* * *

Lyman Banner knew he wasn't dressed for the occasion, but he just hoped his gamble would pay off. He had a white dress shirt on with a mahogany tie around his neck. His long black hair was in a ponytail, and his glasses were slowly sliding down his nose. It wasn't ideal, but it would have to do, since he had to greet the new students in less than half an hour; he was on a tight schedule. It wasn't easy being an alchemy professor.

If there was one thing to be hopeful for after the past few months, it was that a handful of this year's new duelists were rumored to be very capable and talented. He could only hope that they were strong enough for his plans to work.

He was currently in the Abandoned Blue Dorm, with only one goal in mind. He had to convince the _chairman_ that it was in their best interest to wait a few months before initiating their plan. He had to stall.

The icy, stone floor of the dimly lit room was encompassed by two shadowy circles. There was silence, and the only thing that dared to break it was Banner's breathing which was trying to find a steady rhythm. He couldn't afford to stammer or hesitate even for a fraction of a second. The chairman would suspect him.

The chairman stood at the center of the floor, with his back facing away from the professor. Banner knew that chairman was still aware of his presence.

It was only a matter of time before Banner was addressed. He had learned that he was to wait until he was spoken to before speaking. The professor grimaced remembering what had become of those who had dared to try the chairman's patience. It hadn't ended well for Titan, who now wore a mask to hide what had become of his eyes.

"Amnael, that is an interesting outfit you have on," A strange, ominous voice hissed mockingly.

Banner remained silent, deciding that it wasn't necessary to speak.

"Have you found a way to get the Spirit Keys?" The voice would not waver.

"I have." Banner said trying to remain as collected as possible. He took a pause waiting to be addressed before continuing.

"You may continue." A restless echo reverberated across the room. Banner would not dare test his patience.

"The Spirit Keys seem to be hidden in various dungeons and ruins around the world, and are difficult to access. Only those who have knowledge of how these dungeons and ruins are structured can access them. Chancellor Sheppard, duel academy's headmaster, has this knowledge and is able to retrieve the keys. I have talked to Sheppard, telling him that Kagemaru wants the keys. He claims that he will retrieve the keys after the first promotion exams, because he wants to ensure that the academy has a smooth start to the school year. He will leave three weeks from now, and he believes he will need a month to collect the keys. Although we have to wait nearly two months, I did not rush him, because I was afraid he would suspect us."

Banner held his breath. He just hoped two months would be enough for him to find duelists capable of overcoming his chairman. Ever since a few months ago, when the dark and sinister man had arrived at the island, Banner had suspected that chairman wasn't who he said he was.

"Very well, Amnael. I will give him two months, but remember I'm not a very patient guy. If Sheppard fails to get me the keys in two months, I might not be able to hold my temper and kill the both of you. I can promise you."

* * *

"I don't get what you see in him." Jasmine, a girl with bushy auburn hair told her friend Mindy, "I know he beat Crowler, but his hair looks like a Kuriboh."

"I like guys who can duel," Mindy smirked, playing with the two strands of black hair that curled out of each side of her head.

"Well you like any guy with a pulse," said a third girl with long shoulder length blonde hair, rolling her hazel eyes.

"Alexis is right Mindy. Remember the time when you said our history teacher was sexy?" Jasmine added.

"In my defense, I found the way he pronounced the word 'Atlantis,' very cute"

"Uh, I don't think cute is the right word for it." Alexis responded, shuddering. It had been a few hours since they had arrived at the academy. They had been given a tour of the academy by Fonda Fontaine: the head of the Obelisk girls' dorm. After the tour, they were given key cards for their dorm rooms, along with their room numbers.

It seemed roommates were chosen by the school. Not that it mattered. The three of them ended up sharing a three bed-room suite together anyways. The closets in the room contained the white Obelisk jackets and blue skirts that each girl had ordered.

They were currently in their room, waiting for Mindy to finish putting on her make-up, before visiting the duel arena. The duel arena was acclaimed to be the same size as a professional duel stadium. Alexis and Jasmine wasn't really interested in the arena; they had already seen it on the tour. Mindy, on the other hand, was convinced that they needed to go for a second time, just in case there were any cute boys dueling there. After all, she 'liked guys who could duel.'

"Hurry up, Mindy! I bet you even Crowler doesn't take this long to do his make-up."

"Just thirty more seconds!"

Alexis sighed. Mindy had always been like this. She always had to look 'pretty' for boys who didn't even know she existed. The three of them had met in Duel Academy's middle school division. It was essentially a prep school in Domino City. The school was supposed to prepare them for Duel Academy's high school division. Most of the students who graduated from the school got into Obelisk Blue, which was the highest rank a student could have at the high school.

Although the three girls weren't very close at first, Mindy was the one who had brought them together. Mindy used to have a habit of acting overly friendly to girls who she wanted something from. For Jasmine that had been her perfume. Instead of asking about the product, she decided to follow Jasmine around for weeks, before she had found out that it was the same perfume that she used herself.

For Alexis that had been her brother, who Mindy went crazy for after learning that he plays the guitar. Mindy would act super nice around Alexis for months. It turned out her brother, Atticus, could not play the guitar after all. He played the ukulele instead, which was 'an instrument that only pedophiles play,' according to Mindy.

Well after those two incidents, Mindy learned that maybe she shouldn't waste her time sucking up to every girl who she wanted something from, especially if it didn't pay off at the end. At least she had made two new friends though.

Speaking of her brother, he had become a sensitive subject to think about. She had found out that her brother had been missing for the past few months. Although the school had told her parents that her brother was studying abroad for an international dueling program, she had learned from her brother's friend Zane that this was not the case. There was an Abandoned Blue Dorm at the academy that students were not allowed to trespass. Zane had explained that the dorm used to be occupied by a group of Obelisk Blue students. Among the group was her brother, and one day they all vanished. He had said that the school suspected something in the dorm had caused the boys to disappear. That was why trespassing into the dorm was forbidden, until they could organize an investigation. Even so, no one knew what had happened.

Alexis had got a phone call from Zane a few months back. He had said that she deserved to know the truth. She knew that Zane and her brother had been close friends since their junior high days. The former had come over to her house almost every day; Zane and Atticus were pretty much inseparable. Zane was probably just as hurt as she was.

That night, she had called her brother's cellphone over and over again, desperately hoping that he would pick up. Once she realized that there wouldn't be an answer and that there would never be. She smashed her phone against the wall. She had curled up in her bed, sleepless. She wanted to scream, but she didn't want to alert her parents. They had thought that Atticus was in America studying abroad. Alexis didn't want to tell them. _It was better if less people got hurt._

As she lied in bed that fateful night, her face eventually burned with tears, thinking of the memories that she had shared with him. She remembered the day he had taught her how to duel. Atticus thought that he was pretty good after only a week at prep school. She had told him that Duel Monsters was just a card game and that it was stupid, fed up with how he would constantly brag about his dueling skills.

 _"It's getting late," Alexis said, looking at the red skies that filled the horizon. Strands of her long blonde hair were getting in her eyes as a mild breeze rushed past her. The breeze brushed off the tall tree standing behind her. The tree's arm was tied with a golden rope which held up a black tire serving as a makeshift swing. She picked up the cards in front of her so they would not be lost in the wind. Atticus, sitting across from her, did the same. "We should go home now."_

 _"Not yet," Atticus spoke. Eventually, the breeze had met its end. He put the cards back down on the board between them. He grinned, adding cheekily, "You're scared you'll lose, aren't you?"_

 _"No! I just want to go home before it's too dark," The girl complained._

 _They had been dueling all day, and Atticus would win every single time._

 _"I'll set a face-down." Alexis said, as she tried to put on her best 'poker face.'_

 _"You can do whatever you want," Atticus said. He knew her face-down was clearly a bluff. His sister had been trying to fool him all day by putting on her best neutral expression after every bluff she set down. It didn't help that she bit her lips every time she tried this. He then drew the top card from his deck, "I activate Swing of Memories. I can special summon a normal monster from the graveyard. I choose Red-Eyes Black Dragon."_

 _"Swing of Memories?" The girl wondered aloud. It was the first time today Atticus had used the card. She examined the card design. It seemed familiar. She tilted her head towards the black tire attached to the tree behind her, and the crimson sky that loomed over them. The scene in the park was identical to the card design. There was a card for everything, and the 'stupid' game was kind of beginning to grow on her._

 _"Red-Eyes will attack your Cyber Tutu."_

 _"Come on! What happened to going easy on me?"_

 _" I have been going easy on you all day, but maybe I'm too good; I just can't lose even if I try to. Plus, if I call off the attack Red-Eyes will go back to the grave at the end phase, since it's summoned by Swing of Memories."_

 _"So?"_

 _"So? So, you'll win on your next turn! I still need to look out for my pride you know. I can't just lose to my baby sister who started dueling this morning."_

 _"Well I have to look out for my pride too, and I'm not losing again. I activate my trap Doble Passe," Alexis smiled. She had intentionally bit her lips so her brother would put his guard down and suspect that her trap was a bluff. 'Doble Passe,' would ensure that the duel would end in a draw, which was better than losing to him for the fiftieth time_

 _""How clever," Her brother chuckled. "I use my trap Trap Jammer. I discard a card from my hand, so that I can negate a trap's effect. "_

 _"I quit!" Alexis groaned, "This is a stupid game and I never want to play it again!"_

 _She was kidding of course. She had really enjoyed dueling with him at the park. It had been a nice day, despite the skies darkening._

 _"Rematch?"_

 _"You're on!"_

She could go all day, if it meant wiping that cocky grin on his face. Eventually, the sun had set. The winds grew stronger, causing the branches of the strong, sturdy tree to waver. The years flashed forward. All that was left of this day were two things: a memory and the painful realization that Atticus was gone.

"I'm finished!" Mindy sang.

 _"I'm finished!"_ Jasmine mimicked.

"Did you think that was funny or something?" Mindy pouted, turning to Alexis who was sitting on the edge of her bed. It seemed like she was thinking about something and didn't hear her. "I said I'm finished!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, let's go." Alexis murmured, getting off her bed and walking towards the door, ignoring the concerned looks that her friends were giving her.

* * *

It had been a boring few hours for Jaden Yuki. He was given a tour of the campus by some laid-back professor named Lyman Banner. He initially wasn't supposed to give them the tour, because he wasn't the headmaster of the Slifer Red dorm. However, the _headmistress_ , Midori Hibiki was busy making lesson plans. It was pretty disappointing, because Jaden was looking forward to seeing her for the whole plane ride. The two had met in a hospital a few years back and grew really close to each other. He considered her his 'older sister.'

He had just checked in his dorm room with a boy named Syrus Truesdale, who had sat next to him on the plane ride. He had unruly light blue hair, with glasses barely hanging on to his nose, and virtually no self-confidence.

It was a small room with a one person's closet, a bathroom that had a single shower stall instead of a bathtub, a wooden desk and chair, a mini fridge, and a triple bunk bed.

He hurled his bags on to the first bunk, which landed harder than it should have, shaking the bed.

"Hey! I'm trying to sleep!" A voice erupted from the third bunk, causing Syrus to scream.

The blue bed sheet on the third bunk began to shift, as a round face poked out of the covers to look at who had disrupted his nap. Jaden didn't know if it was a major case of bad bed hair or if the boy had styled his hair like a koala on purpose. His nose seemed too big for his face, while his eyes seemed too small.

"I said I'm trying to sleep!" The boy yelled, clearly angry at the racket that Syrus had made by screaming.

"I'm s-s-sorry sir! I shouldn't have s-screamed. I hope you can forgive me. N-n-not that you have to, but it would be appreciated if you did! I'm s-sorry again! Jaden here wanted to go the duel arena, so we'll just get out of your hair, a-after we put our stuff away."

"It's okay! Stop apologizing; just be more quiet next time. The name's Chumley by the way. I've been living in this room for three years now, and this is going to be my fourth year, because I was held back from graduating last year."

"I'm Jaden Yuki, and this is my friend Syrus Truesdale." Jaden greeted. He didn't really think less of Chumley, even though he was held back from graduating. Heck with his work rate, he probably wouldn't even make it past his second year.

"Truesdale? As in Zane Truesdale's brother?" Chumley asked shifting into a sitting position. Jaden could hear the bed springs stretch as Chumley's weight pressed down against the mattress. This guy probably weighed a ton; he almost felt sorry for the bed.

"Y-yep."

"Who's Zane Truesdale?" Jaden wondered out loud.

"He's only the number one duelist at the school. I heard he's getting offers to duel in the Pro League already." Chumley looked at Jaden, surprised that the freshman had not heard of Zane Truesdale.

"Sy, you never told me your brother was that good! You should introduce me to him, so I can beat him in a duel!"

"My brother and I aren't really on speaking terms."

"Why not?"

"Well he thinks I'm a better duelist than I actually am. It pisses him off whenever I lose, because he says he knows I can do better, but I can't! I'm not as talented as him. It doesn't help that I got placed into Slifer Red…He's probably furious!"

"How's that a problem? I'm in Slifer too!" Jaden remarked.

"That's the worst rank in the school Jaden." Chumley commented, "We're pretty much all rejects. Most kids in red just lucked out on the entrance exams, and don't even make it past the first year before dropping out."

"Luck out on their entrance exams? That's funny because I'm in red, and I killed my entrance exams, or the dueling portion anyways. I beat Crowler!"

"You didn't beat Crowler. You beat one of the test decks designed specifically to test applicants."

"So you're saying Ancient Gear Golem was a test card?"

"Okay, now you're just playing games with me. There's no way you could beat him if he used Ancient Gear Golem. That card's legendary. " Chumley dismissed, yawning loudly before hugging his pillow and snuggling under his bed sheets once again, "Aren't you guys planning go the Duel Arena or something?"

"It's true! He did beat Crowler and Ancient Gear Golem. I saw it." Syrus blurted.

"Yeah, yeah, and I beat Seto Kaiba in a duel once."

* * *

Chazz Princeton had never been a fan of amateur dueling. He would never watch other junior championship matches. Those were a waste of his time. He would only watch the Pro League.

When Jesse Anderson and Taiyou Torimaki dueled, it was the first non-league duel he had watched in a while. At first he expected to be disappointed. Although they were fellow Obelisks, he didn't expect them to be at his level. He wasn't trying to sound arrogant, but he had known Taiyou Torimaki since middle school. Taiyou had navy blue hair and wore very thin glasses; he was pretty overconfident for a guy who had relied on his parents' money and status to get into Obelisk Blue. Chazz remembered that the students around him would often bring this up on the plane ride, complaining how if their parents were 'rich' too that they would also be in Obelisk like Taiyou.

He sympathized with the boy. Chazz was harassed because many believed that his rich and powerful brothers had bought him the three national championships. They were always saying how his brothers rigged the tournaments, so that Chazz would always get seeded with weak duelists. He was sick of it. Why couldn't they recognize what he had accomplished? Why couldn't they recognize what he had sacrificed to get to that level?

He turned his focus towards the duel. They had met up with Taiyou after the mandatory tour of the school that they gave to all the first year students. Taiyou had challenged Chazz to a duel, claiming that he had a strategy to beat the national champ. Chazz, not really in the mood to destroy Taiyou's hopes, told him that he should duel Jesse first, and the winner could duel him. By the time the two amateurs were done knocking each other out, it would be time for the welcoming dinner, and Chazz wouldn't have to waste his time dueling them. It would have been a clever plan, but the duel had ended too quickly. Jesse had won without losing a single life-point.

Jesse dueled at a pace that even Chazz had a bit of trouble keeping up with. He was always four or five steps ahead of Taiyou. He wondered why he had never run into someone as skilled as Jesse in the championships.

"You're next!" Jesse exclaimed from the oval podium at the center of the arena, pointing at Chazz who was watching from the stands. The podium had a bunch of wires coming out of it, with tunnels around it for duelists to enter and exit. There were rows of seats above the tunnels, surrounding the podium. The arena's capacity was well over a thousand people. It was the same size as a professional arena. Anything less would have disappointed Chazz.

"You're on." Chazz answered. He took a deep breath to relax his hand from shaking. Why was his hand shaking? Was he scared to lose? It had been a while since he lost…

"Chaaaazz!" A bubbly voice cooed from behind him.

Chazz turned to see Mindy Hamaguchi waving at him, with Jasmine Makurada and Alexis Rhodes behind her. They were a couple rows above him, and slowly walking down the stairs towards him.

They had gone to junior high together. He didn't know Jasmine very well. He hadn't really known Mindy that well either, but she started talking to him only after he won his first championship. He found Mindy pretty attractive, and talking to her wouldn't have been that bad if she wasn't so bothersome and annoying.

He and Alexis had become good friends in their first year; he had beat her in a duel at school, before they coincidentally met later that day on the top of Domino Mall. They had drifted since then; because he had changed…She wouldn't meet his eyes, and was looking away, pretending to be examining in the arena instead.

"Can I help you?" Chazz growled.

"I like how you think you're tough!" Mindy giggled.

"You haven't answered my question."

" _You haven't answered my question_ ," She said mockingly.

"If you're just going to waste my time, I'm going to leave."Chazz said, heading towards a tunnel in the stands that lead to the podium.

"No need to be rude." Mindy pouted, "I just wanted to know if you've seen the guy who beat Crowler."

As if on cue, Taiyou walked towards them with two other boys in Slifer red jackets. One of them was a short boy with light-blue hair, who Chazz had recognized as Syrus Truesdale who was one of the worst duelists in prep school. The other was Jaden Yuki: the boy who had beat Crowler.

"Hey, Chazz!" Taiyou called, "These Slifer dropouts think they can duel here!"

"Why can't we?" Jaden asked, "I mean we're all students here, and this is our campus."

"Do you hear this shit Chazz?" Taiyou asked, forcing himself to fake a laugh.

"Shut up, Taiyou. He's probably a better duelist than you." Mindy said, smiling at Jaden, which made Chazz cringe.

Jaden looked up into the stands, facing the boy Taiyou was talking to. "Who is that guy?"

"You must be deaf because I just said his name. It's Chazz Princeton. He's the number one duelist at this school. Show some respect."

"That's impossible." Jaden said.

"Well I guess there's Zane Truesdale, but he's the best out of the first year students." Taiyou reasoned.

"That's not what I meant. He can't be the best out of the first years or the best at the school" Jaden smirked, "I am."

Something about Jaden's confidence got under Chazz's nerves.

"Uh-Jaden, he has three national championships," Syrus whispered.

"Three national championships? Wow, you must be good! Let's duel right now."

Chazz knew Jaden was complimenting him, but he was annoyed by the Slifer's comments.

"Not as good as you! You beat Crowler!" Mindy winked at the Slifer.

"Hey thanks!"

Chazz clenched his fists. Mindy was being annoying as hell. It pissed him off how she was getting slightly flirty with Jaden.

He then noticed that Alexis was trying to avoid joining in the conversation, so she wouldn't have to talk to him. Jasmine and she had been 'examining' the arena for a bit too long.

Jesse was standing on top of the podium who was wondering what the hell was going on. Syrus had been hiding behind Jaden the whole time. Taiyou was trying to talk shit to Jaden, even though Chazz knew that Jaden was clearly batter than Taiyou, and Jaden?

Chazz couldn't put a finger on it, but the way he talked made him want to punch the kid's guts out. Not able to stand anymore of this, Chazz decided to speak up.

"I think welcoming dinner will start soon. We should get going Taiyou." Chazz said.

"Hey wait! Can't we just get a quick duel in? It'll be fun!"

"Fun? You think dueling is fun?!"

"Yeah! It's exciting to meet new opponents and learn from them."

"If only it was that easy…"

"It is! The more fun a duel is the more duelists are able to respect each other."

Chazz did not have a response. His face seemed to twist in anguish as he made his way to the exit. Alexis noticing his change in expression suddenly went after him.

The hopeful optimism that Jaden had, along with his excitement at the idea of dueling, reminded Chazz of how he was before his first national championship.

It angered Chazz how Jaden had what he had lost. Jaden had what he had to sacrifice. Jaden reminded him of what he couldn't get back.

* * *

Chazz stopped in the middle of a corridor aligned with white metal walls. He leaned is head against the metal, his spiky black hair brushing the wall's surface, looking dejectedly towards the ground.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous of Jaden. Before his first national championship, he was more like Jaden. He would enjoy dueling, and get excited at the prospect of dueling a strong opponent.

His parents were never home and he was pretty lonely as a kid. It was through dueling that he could meet different people that he could look up to and interact with. When his parents had died the night before his first national championship final, Chazz was devastated.

He had heard from his brother Jagger that they were killed by an unnamed person who worked for a company called Gecko Industries; his parents had important documents that the company wanted. Jagger tried reporting to the authorities, but they explained to him that there wasn't enough evidence to tie the murderer and the company together. He couldn't understand why someone would do such a thing. Despite this, he persevered, dueling the next day, despite his fragile mental state.

 _"I'll use Light and Darkness Dragon's effect and negate your Mirror Force!" Chazz exclaimed, "Now attack her Kick Man!" A half white and half black dragon spread its mighty wings, as a silver vortex formed near its face, before the vortex enveloped the field._

 _Chazz 1700_

 _Opponent 0_

 _"Ladies and gentleman! Japan has a new junior champion! Chazz Princeton!"_

 _Chazz held up an arm addressing the crowd. He smiled ever so slightly, tears falling freely down his red cheeks; his parents would be proud of him._

 _"That was a fun duel." Chazz told his opponent, who shook just shook her head ," Thank you."_

 _The girl was silent._

 _Chazz figured the girl was just disappointed that she had worked so hard to get to the finals just to lose. He could understand that._

 _"Congratulations on the win Princeton. It's just too bad your parents won't be here to see it." She said suddenly, glaring at him with intense blue eyes that would not waver._

 _Chazz felt like a dagger had ripped through his heart, as he lost blood and suffocated. Did the girl know that his parents were gone?_

 _"I'm sorry?"_

 _"They're dead." She said coldly, "They're never coming back, but hey at least you won a championship."_

 _"H-h-how do you know this?" He demanded weakly as tears slowly rolled down his cheeks._

 _"Does Gecko Industries ring a bell? If you didn't hear, they were the ones who took your parents away from you. Let's just say I know a few people from that company."_

 _That was the company that had allegedly hired someone to kill his parents. The company that had left him alone in this world. She had confirmed this. Chazz clenched his fists, breathing heavily. He would bring that company to its knees if it was the last thing he did._

 _"You know who killed my parents?!" Chazz asked slowly, gritting his teeth, anger seething through his veins._

 _"No, I don't know who killed them, but I wish I was the one who did. You ruined everything..."_

 _The girl couldn't help but smirk, as she saw the boy's face contort in rage and sadness at the same time. She had failed to win the national championship, and so she had failed the chairman's test. She would be separated from her love, Adrian, and assigned to the submarine division of Gecko Industries for the next six years. It was the price of her incompetence, and she was glad that Chazz was paying for it._

 _He took a deep breath, biting his lips to stop the tears. He bit so hard that his lips almost started bleeding. Shaking, Chazz held in the urge to choke the girl until she was begging for mercy._

 _"Are you one of them? Do you work for them?" Chazz growled, his gaze tearing into her._

 _"Maybe I do..." Chazz then grabbed the girl by the collar of her white shirt, as his grip threatened to tear the shirt in half._

 _"Now, now Princeton, there's a whole crowd watching. You don't want to do anything stupid and give your fans the wrong image."_

 _"Y-you..you...you monster." Chazz then felt an emotion that he had never felt before. It was pure hatred. He hated everything this girl represented and stood for. She deserved to suffer, "I'll call the authorities. They'll use you as evidence to tie the company with the murderer, and Gecko Industries can rot in hell..."_

 _"Don't be foolish. We have inside personnel within the police department. If the authorities were a problem I would have stayed quiet, instead of telling you all this._ _" She grinned evilly,"Besides, if you call the authorities it would make the chairman unhappy. You don't want him to be unhappy, unless you want to lose your brothers too."_

 _Chazz looked despondently at the ground. It was hopeless. No matter what he tried he was powerless. He couldn't lose his brothers too._

 _"It's a good thing your parents can't see you so hopeless... They would be so worried." She mocked._

 _"How can you be so cruel?" Chazz took heavy breaths, as he began to cry, unable to control his emotions any longer. He beat his aching heart with his hand, wanting the pain to stop._

 _"I just wanted to remind you how weak and alone you really are."_ _She pushed him away from her laughing glumly. A celestial white glow seemed to envelop her body, as she grinned almost sadistically "But, at least you had fun dueling."_

 _Chazz shut his eyes closed. Even that couldn't stop his teardrops from finding a way through. The girl had broke him._

 _A highlight of a majestic dragon stood behind Chazz, embracing its wings around him to comfort the junior champion._

 _Since that day, dueling was never as 'fun' as before._

"Chazz?" He could hear Alexis's voice behind him.

He did not turn to face her.

"What are you doing here? You're going to miss welcoming dinner."

He remained silent. His dark eyes would not leave the ground.

"You are too." He said quietly.

"I just wanted to make sure that you're okay." She spoke softly.

"I'm fine. Besides, I thought you didn't want anything to do with me." He remarked bitterly.

Alexis's expression changed to one of sadness. He was the one who changed. After he had won his first championships, he was so alone and hateful...

His brothers wanted to support Chazz's dueling career after his first championship. Slade was the president of Princeton's, his family's company, while Jagger was the chief executive officer. They had taken over for their parents, and were happy to sponsor Chazz.

The Gecko Industries and Princeton's were embroiled in a corporate feud for years. Slade and Jagger were convinced that if Chazz became the head of the dueling world by becoming the next duel king their company would have an edge over Gecko Industries.

At first Chazz was nervous, as the memory of the girl's threat lingered within him. He told his brothers that he didn't want them to die in the hands of Gecko Industries. They assured him that they had a plan to destroy that company, and that all he had to worry about was dueling. He had listened to them. They were his brothers. They were all that was left of his family.

His brothers decided to support him as long as he would win. They decided to be there for him as long as he wouldn't disgrace the Princeton name; disgracing the Princeton name meant that he was letting the Geckos' win. That's why he couldn't afford to lose.

The other duelists began to grow frustrated at losing to Chazz, and often blamed his brothers for rigging Chazz's tournaments and bribing his opponents into intentionally losing. He couldn't deal with how they would criticize his family's name. All his parents had left behind for him was his name and his legacy as a Princeton to avenge them. He refused to have it disrespected. He vowed to prove that the Princeton's name was far more valuable than the Geckos'.

Eventually, he became so bitter and hateful. She had tried to help him at first; she had missed the fun loving boy that Chazz once was. He was completely different in his second national championship run, trying to destroy and humiliate all his opponents.

She had tried to convince him that he didn't have to be so hateful. She had no idea why he was acting that way, and thought she could change him.

He had told her it was okay as long as he kept winning. By that point, she realized how much Chazz had changed. Winning was the one thing that kept him from being left with nothing...

She had been so upset that Chazz had ended up like this. She was afraid of talking to him, because it reminded her that he wasn't the same. They would spend less time together, and eventually they stopped being friends.

When she saw his expression change into one of anguish back at the arena, she could see him suffering. She didn't want to see him suffer; he used to be her friend...

"I'm worried about you." That was all she could say.

"Thank you." Chazz whispered. The change in his tone had taken her back. The two stood in silence. Chazz's eyes were still gazing at the ground, and his head had continued to lean against the metal wall of the corridor. He was embarrassed that Alexis had caught him in a vulnerable moment.

"He kind of reminds me of how you used to be." Alexis added carefully, referring to Jaden.

"You mean how I was before my parents died?" Chazz asked grimly.

Alexis bit her lips, inwardly grimacing at her mistaking of bringing up Jaden.

"I hate this Chazz. We used to be really good friends. Now we don't even talk to each other… I really miss how things were before." She wasn't only talking about her friendship with Chazz. She also missed her brother. It seems as she got older she would lose more people that were important to her, and it was tearing her apart.

"I'm sorry." Chazz said. They were silent for a while not knowing what to say to each other.

"I wish things were the way they used to be too. I wish my parents never died…But no matter how much I want things to return to the way they were, I know they won't. Things are different now…That's just how it is."

"I guess you're right." Alexis admitted sadly. As much as she wanted to see her brother, the truth was that he was gone at the moment.

"I'm going to duel him." Chazz said suddenly, with bitterness drenching his voice. " _I lost everything_...and he's just a reminder of what I can't get back... That's why I'm going to crush him and everything he stands for."

* * *

Jaden was casually making his way through his fifth bowl of rice. He couldn't believe how the other Slifers could complain about the food. It wasn't the fanciest dinner, but something about the rice had captured his taste buds. It was so good that he could eat five bowls of this rice for every dinner this week.

"How much more are you going to eat?" Syrus cried, sitting across from him on the uneven, rickety picnic table.

"I don't know," Jaden answered his mouth still full of food.

Syrus sighed heavily in exasperation. They were the only ones left in the Slifer dining room, with the exception of their headmistress who was sitting next to Syrus, just as annoyed by Jaden's eating habits. The room was filled with a bunch of worn-out picnic tables, and a few mosquitoes that would fly by once in a while. The other Slifers had tried to finish their food as quick as possible, complaining about the mosquitoes and the poor quality of the food. To be honest, Syrus had found the rice too plain. He didn't see why Jaden was so obsessed with it.

"Don't talk with your mouth full Jaden. It's disrespectful." The headmistress, who had introduced herself as Midori Hibiki, told the boy who was currently shoving his face with rice. She was in a red skirt and white tank top, which was overlapped by a red jacket that reached her waist, while her raven black hair reached her shoulders.

 _"_ _Don't talk with your mouth full Jaden. It's disrespectful."_ Jaden mimicked, sticking his tongue out at her.

Syrus gasped. How could Jaden disrespect their headmistress like that? Could he really be that dumb? She was probably furious. Jaden would probably get in trouble, and with his luck he would too, just for being there!

Instead, she just rolled her caramel eyes, as if expecting this behavior from the Slifer. "You win one duel against Crowler, and now you think you can talk to your headmistress like that."

"You're just jealous, because I'm a better duelist than you." Jaden rebutted, causing Syrus to flinch.

"When have you ever beat me?"

"I've been going easy on you. I don't want to hurt your feelings." Syrus froze, bracing himself for Ms. Hibiki to start yelling angrily at Jaden, but that never happened.

"It's okay to lose sometimes Jaden." Midori cooed mockingly.

Jaden just ignored this and continue to shove his face with rice.

"By the way you have a grain of rice stuck on your forehead, dumbass." Midori burst out laughing.

"Leave me alone." Jaden complained, quickly wiping the grain off his forehead. His face was red with embarrassment, and he was looking away from her.

She just kept laughing.

"I'm done eating." Jaden pouted, putting his bowl to the side, "By the way, you laugh like a freak."

At this point, Syrus was ready to throw up. How was Jaden so stupid? Ms. Hibiki seemed really nice, but there was only so much rudeness that a person can put up with. He gritted his teeth, his face becoming pale. Jaden seemed to notice this, looking at his friend worriedly.

"What's wrong Sy?" He asked.

'What was wrong? He would tell Jaden what was wrong!' Syrus clenched his fists, slightly shaking. "What's wrong? You're an idiot. That's what's wrong! You're openly disrespecting the headmistress. Even if you think it's funny, you could get in serious trouble! I didn't think that you could be so immature!"

It was Jaden's turn to burst out laughing. 'Was this funny to him? Was everything a joke to him?'

"Oh right, I forgot to tell you Sy. Midori and I have been friends for a long time; she was the one who gave me my first duel disk."

Syrus, realizing how ignorant he must have sounded, lowered his head, muttering quietly, "Oh. I guess that explains that."

"I'm sorry if we alarmed you Syrus." Midori told him sheepishly, "I guess we were being a bit immature."

Syrus just nodded at her, his eyes not leaving the table.

"Well I need to go finish my lesson plans," Midori told them, "You two behave, and by you two I mean you Jaden."

Jaden crossed his arms in indignation. The headmistress just winked at him, before walking out the sliding straw door.

As Midori left the dining room, a beeping noise went off from Jaden's pocket. He pulled out his PDA, checking the screen to see that he had one unopened voicemail.

"It's Chazz. You said you wanted to have some fun dueling, didn't you? Meet me at the duel arena at midnight. I'll show you how cruel dueling can be. Winner gets the loser's best card."

* * *

Syrus made his way to the stands in the Duel Arena. He had told Jaden that this wasn't a good idea. Chazz was a strong duelist, and Jaden could lose his best card.

He noticed that there were two other people who were already there, getting ready to watch the duel. He had recognized one of them as Alexis Rhode; he knew her from junior high. She was the second best duelist at middle school next to Chazz.

Alexis, on the other hand, probably didn't even know he existed. Being the worst duelist in prep school did not really help his reputation.

The other was a boy in teal hair, and an Obelisk blue jacket. He remembered seeing him earlier in the arena. He was the boy standing on the podium, while Taiyou had tried to convince Jaden and Syrus they couldn't duel at the arena, but failed to come up with a valid reason why.

"Well howdy there!" The teal-haired boy waved at him, "You must be here to see the duel. Come and join us."

The boy tapped the seat next to him, motioning Syrus to take the open seat. Alexis smiled at him, as Syrus walked towards them. They seemed friendly enough, and he didn't really want to sit alone.

"I'm Jesse Anderson. Nice to meet you!" Syrus noticed that Jesse had a southern accent. "You must be Jaden's friend."

"You know Jaden?"

"Everyone knows him! He beat Crowler." Jesse answered, "But blondie over here thinks that Jaden will get his ass handed to him. Isn't that right?"

"First of all don't call me blondie. The name is Alexis." She glared at Jesse, "And I didn't say he'd get his ass handed to him. I just think that Chazz will win."

"How can you be sure though? Jaden did beat Crowler." Jesse reasoned.

"Because Chazz doesn't lose. He can't afford to..."Alexis answered with a hint of frustration in her voice, "He hasn't lost in the last three years..."

* * *

Jaden made his way on to the podium, where Chazz was waiting for him. The Obelisk glared at him with dark eyes that refused to tremble. He had his academy duel disk on, ready to destroy the Slifer.

"Thanks for inviting me Chazz!" Jaden grinned, excited to see how strong Chazz really was.

Chazz snorted, ignoring the Slifer's comment. He wasn't here to deal with his pointless compliments.

"The winner gets the loser's best card. In your case that's your Flame Wingman. If you win, I'll give you my Armed Dragon LV 10." Chazz restated the duel's conditions. He wasn't sure if Flame Wingman was the rarest card that Jaden had, but it's not like he was putting his rarest card on the line either. Light and Darkness Dragon wasn't even in his deck.

"Sounds good to me!" Jaden exclaimed, "I'll let you keep your Armed Dragon _when_ I win though. I think dueling you is a prize itself. It's not every day you go up against a three time national champion."

"Yeah, whatever." Chazz muttered. When Jaden had said that he was excited to duel him, Chazz remembered when dueling had excited him too. He had given up on having fun and being happy; winning had become more important. He expected himself to win. His brothers expected him to win.

"I'll give you the first move. You might need it."

Chazz 4000

Jaden 4000

"That's really generous of you Chazz, thanks!" Jaden said, causing Chazz to glower. He drew Spark Blaster into his hand. He examined his hand of six. He held Elemental Hero Bubbleman, Elemental Hero Wildheart, Elemental Hero Clayman, Defense Draw, Take Over 5, and Spark Blaster.

"I'll summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in attack mode!" Jaden slammed the card on to his duel disk as a light blue 'bat-man' with two grey cylinders on its back emerged on the field. (ATK 800/DEF 1200) "Now thanks to this dude's effect, I can draw two cards!"

The Slifer added Elemental Hero Avian and Tag Request into his hand. "I activate Take Over 5! I send the top 5 cards in my deck to the graveyard. In return, I can draw an extra card on my standby phase next turn. Pretty sweet, huh?"

"Just get on with it." Chazz gritted his teeth.

"If you say so!" Jaden then sent Hero Kid, Negate Attack, De-Fusion, Death and Rebirth, and an extra Hero Kid to the grave. "Then I activate Tag Request! This allows me to summon an Elemental Hero from my hand, as long as it has the same number of attack points as an Elemental Hero on my field! Chazz, meet Clayman!"

A bulky giant made solely of clay took its place next to Bubbleman. (ATK 800/DEF 2000)

"I'll then throw down a face-down and end my turn." Jaden finished, placing Defense Draw down. He had left Clayman in attack mode, despite it having more defense points. Chazz would probably take advantage of this situation, summoning a monster with higher attack points to inflict damage. Jaden would protect his life-points with Defense Draw.

Since Chazz had left his own monster in attack mode, Jaden would draw first blood by summoning Wildheart, and attacking that monster. It was a pretty good plan if he may say so himself. The only flaw that Jaden saw in his plan was if Chazz's monster was stronger than Wildheart, but he would have to wait until he got that far to figure things out.

Chazz drew. He placed the card, Polymerization, into his hand. He examined it carefully. It consisted of Meteor Stream, Masked Dragon, Chythonian Polymer, Ojamagic Ojama Delta Hurricane, and Polymerization. It wasn't the greatest hand he's ever had, but it would do.

"I'll set two face-downs," Chazz asserted, as he set Chythonian Polymer and Meteor Stream," And then I'll summon Masked Dragon." A dragon covered in red and white patches emerged in front of Chazz. (ATK 1400/DEF 1100)

"Attack his Clayman." Chazz said, as virtual flames were unleashed from the dragon's face.

"I activate my trap, Defense Draw! I take no battle damage, and I get to draw a card!" Jaden countered, adding Polymerization into his hand.

"Very well. I'll end my turn." Chazz concluded, shifting his focus to 'Chythonian Polymer,' the trap he had set earlier. The trap ensured that if Jaden summoned Flame Wingman it would cost the Slifer dearly.

After he drew Elemental Hero Sparkman into his hand, Jaden smirked. "It's my standby phase, so I can banish Take Over 5 from the graveyard and draw one more time!"

He added E-Hero Burstinatrix to his hand, before looking up and smiling at Chazz. He had the cards he needed to summon Flame Wingman. "Guess what Chazz? I drew the card that I needed to beat you!"

His arrogant claims slightly irritated the Obelisk. Despite this, Chazz stood in silence, hoping that Jaden would summon Flame Wingman sooner than later.

'I'll save Flame Wingman as my trump card. For now, I'll just stick to my original plan.' Jaden calculated, "I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart in attack mode! Attack Masked Dragon!" A muscular dark skinned hero emerged. (ATK 1500/DEF 1600)

The dragon dissolved the moment it made contact with the hero's sword.

Chazz 3900

Jaden 4000

"I was hoping you'd do that." Chazz smirked, "I use Masked Dragon's effect so when it's destroyed I summon a dragon with 1500 or less attack points from my deck, like Armed Dragon LV 3!" (ATK 1200/DEF 900)

"That's a pretty neat effect there Chazz! I thought your field would be wide open after I was through with Masked Dragon. I guess I'll have to change my Bubbleman into defense mode and end my turn." Jaden stated before checking his hand one more time. There was Elemental Hero Avian, Elemntal Hero Sparkman, Elemental Hero Burstinatrix, Polymerization, and Spark Blaster.

Chazz emotionlessly drew Graceful Charity into his hand. "It's my standby phase so I can tribute my Armed Dragon LV 3 to summon Armed Dragon LV 5 from my deck!" A black and red dragon covered with metallic spikes emerged on Chazz's field. (ATK 2400/DEF 1700)

"Awesome…" Jaden interjected.

"That's a really powerful monster…" Syrus gulped from the sidelines. He knew that coming to the arena was a bad idea. Why didn't Jaden listen?

"He summoned it so efficiently too." Jesse commented, beginning to see how his fellow Obelisk hadn't lost in the last three years.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Alexis assured the two.

"I activate Grace Charity. I can draw three cards and discard two cards from my hand." Chazz continued, drawing Level Up!, Magical Mallet, and De-Fusion. He assessed his options in the blink of an eye, discarding Magical Mallet and Ojamagic. "I just discarded Ojamagic from my hand. When Ojamagic is discarded, I can add Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black from my deck to my hand."

He could see the trio waving to him from inside their cards. Chazz grimaced at the sight of them, before returning his focus to the duel. "I'll activate Polymerization to fuse the three Ojama cards I just added to my hand and summon Ojama King." The irksome trio flexed their scrawny biceps inside their cards in response. A giant grey muscular Ojama with red tights and a green cape materialized on the field. (ATK 0/DEF 3000)

Chazz cringed as he considered his next move. "I'll activate De-Fusion."

The big Ojama split into three smaller ones in the form of Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black.

"You brought us back boss!" Yellow screamed in joy.

"He loves us! He really does!" Green announced.

"Hey it's Jesse!" Black added waving his hands at the stands.

"Those are some pretty rowdy friends you have Chazz," Jaden interjected, as Jesse almost fell off his seat laughing, getting strange looks from Alexis and Syrus.

"Hey, who are you calling rowdy?" Green cried.

"Uh, no one!" Jaden chuckled, as Green glared at him.

'He can hear them?' To most people, the Ojamas would only appear as motionless, inaudible holograms. Chazz was taken back at how Jaden could hear them like he could.

"I'll activate Ojama Delta Hurricane. When I have all three Ojama cards on my field, I can destroy every card on your field." Chazz asserted. The Ojamas put their butts together, before they started to spin rapidly forming a blur of yellow, black and green. Jaden's Wildheart and Bubbleman were destroyed.

"Armed Dragon LV 5, attack him directly!" The dragon shot a dark, purple ball of energy at Jaden, causing him to stumble at the shockwave.

Chazz 3900

Jaden 1600

"Chazz took out more than half his life-points…" Jesse sat in awe, trying to process what he had just witnessed.

"Jaden doesn't stand a chance!" Syrus squealed.

"I'll finish my turn by using Level Up! I can sacrifice Armed Dragon LV 5 to special summon Armed Dragon LV7!" A larger and slimmer version of Armed Dragon LV5 emerged; its head covered in metallic armor. (ATK 2800/DEF 1000)

Chazz noticed that the annoyingly cheerful Slifer had been silenced. He had lowered his head, eyes not leaving the ground.

'He had given up?' Chazz grinned sadistically; amused that he was able to crush the boy.

"You tried your best Jaden. I'll give you that. It's okay if you want to surrender. I'll take your Flame Wingman, of course, but at least you can protect what little pride that you still have."

Jaden remained still, answerless.

"I know you might have thought that you were good before, but the truth hurts doesn't it? Can you now see that I am at a different level than you? Do you feel hopeless that no matter what you do you'll never be able to surpass me? No matter, how hard you try; you'll always be in my shadow. You are weak Jaden." Chazz then smirked almost sinisterly, "At least you had 'fun' dueling though."

Alexis stared at the field, agitated. She felt terrible that Jaden was being toyed with like this, and she was helpless do nothing but watch. Even though they were friends once and she had felt sorry for him, she was disgusted by how ruthless Chazz could be at times. How could Chazz say all those things?

"Amazing…" Jaden said silently. He rose to meet Chazz's eyes. The light in his eyes seemed to be brighter, as he grinned widely. "You're truly amazing Chazz. I can see how you were the national champion three years in a row. To show a Slifer Red like me such an awesome combination, I'm beside myself with joy!"

How could he be so happy, despite getting utterly crushed? Did he really believe he could still win? No, it wasn't that. He was excited at the prospect of a challenge. Jaden was just like how he used to be... Chazz would crush him like the girl with those evil blue eyes had destroyed him.

Jaden's hand flew across his face holding his next card: Pot of Greed.

"I'll start off by using Pot of Greed. Now, I can draw two cards." He added Miracle Kids and Elemental Mirage to his hand. "I'll activate Polymerization, so I send Elemental Hero Avian and Burstinatrix from my hand to the grave to summon my favorite monster: Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!" A winged creature with a red dragon's head for one of its arm stood in front of him. (ATK 2100/DEF 1200)

"It's him…" Alexis said, admiring how the Slifer hadn't given up.

"The card he used to beat Crowler." Jesse recalled.

"Trap open. Chythonian Polymer lets me sacrifice one of my monsters to take control of a fusion monster on your field." Chazz sent Ojama Black to the graveyard.

"How could you do this to me boss?" Black shouted in despair, before Flame Wingman stood where the Ojama had once stood.

"Nooo!" Yellow yelled.

"I will avenge you my Ojama brethren!" Green exclaimed.

Chazz ignored them, before asserting calmly, "Do you see how powerless you really are? You can act like you're having fun all you want, but you can't hide from the fact that you're pathetic. How can you have fun, if you know that you are so helpless and bound to lose at the end? If you insist on showing me how dueling is supposed to help me respect my opponent and have fun, then please continue."

"He expected Jaden to summon Flame Wingman, and prepared to counter it from the start…" Jesse noted, pitying Jaden, who never stood a chance from the start.

"Poor Jaden... He's getting killed out there." Syrus lamented.

Alexis had had enough. Sure, Chazz was winning by a lot, and probably sealed the duel with that play, but he was looking down on Jaden and bullying him. She looked worriedly at the Slifer, before deciding to put an end to this. Narrowing her eyes, she stood up from her seat.

"This duel is over."

"I know, Alexis... I know." Chazz agreed, with the same sadistic grin etched across his face.

"No Chazz. I mean it! You're trying to get to Jaden's head and break his confidence as a duelist. You have to stop." Alexis cried, "How can you be so cruel?"

'How can you be so cruel?' Chazz wavered as these words _echoed_ in his subconsciousness. He had used those words, when the girl form Gecko Industries had decided to torture him with the reality that his parents were dead. She had broke him, and now he was going to break Jaden.

"Don't count me out just yet!" Jaden said with conviction, causing both Chazz and Alexis to look at the boy incredulously.

"I haven't normal summoned yet, so I'll summon Elemental Hero Sparkman! (ATK 1600/DEF 1400)" Jaden continued, unfazed by the developments, "I equip it with Spark Blaster! With this I can change the battle position of any monster on the field up to three times!" A black gun materialized around the electric hero's hand.

"I noticed that your Armed Dragon LV7 only has 1000 defense points, so I'll change it into defense mode." Jaden beamed. The dragon fell to its knees as an electric blue spark shot out from the blaster. "Sparkman attack Armed Dragon LV 7!"

"Yes!" Syrus put his arms in the air. At least Jaden was making some progress.

"Don't get too excited Sy." Jesse warned him, "Chazz still has Flame Wingman, who is stronger than Sparkman. One attack from Flame Wingman will mean that Jaden loses the duel, because of its effect."

"He did so well too…" Alexis interjected. She was frustrated that even though Jaden had made a good move it wouldn't change the outcome of the duel. She respected his determination, but it would be futile against an opponent like Chazz.

Chazz gritted his teeth in frustration; he had been too careless. Armed Dragon LV7's defense points were the dragon's biggest weakness, and he had let Jaden exploit that.

'Not that it mattered,' he told himself. He would just use Flame Wingman to win on his next turn.

"I'll place two face-down cards and end my turn." Jaden set Miracle Kids and Elemental Mirage, hoping to gain control of the duel with these two cards.

Chazz drew the spell card Chthonian Blast into his empty hand, not that he needed it.

"Flame Wingman attack Sparkman!" Chazz exclaimed, as the hero engulfed itself in flames and charged towards the blue and gold of Sparkman's armor.

"Trap open! Miracle Kids allows me to lower Flame Wingman's attack points by 400 for every Hero Kid in my graveyard."

"There's no Hero Kids in your graveya…" Chazz didn't finish, remembering the spell card Jaden used on his first turn, "Shit."

"I guess you caught on, hehehe. I sent two Hero Kids to my grave from my deck using Take Over 5!"

Flame Wingman's attack points had been reduced to 1300, and disintegrated at contact with Sparkman.

Chazz 3600

Jaden 1600

"Way to go Jay!" Syrus cheered.

"That's impressive." Jesse admitted. He had seriously underestimated Jaden. Just because Chazz had all these national accolades, it didn't make Jaden a weak duelist. It seemed that beating Crowler was not a fluke at all.

Alexis couldn't help but smile lightly at the Slifer's heroics. Chazz was still winning, but Jaden was the one in control now.

'I got too cocky…He's a lot better than I thought, but that doesn't mean he's better than me. I don't want him to be better than me. I gave up so much… He hasn't given up anything compared to me. I couldn't accept it if I lose to him. It would be unfair.' Chazz took a deep breath, analyzing the situation.

He had 'Chthonian Blast,' in his hand, while Jaden had no cards in his hand. All that separated Sparkman from his life points were Ojama Yellow and Ojama Green. The Slifer had a face-down card left, but so did he. He took a quick glance at the 'Meteor Stream,' card he had placed down on his first turn.

He didn't have much to work with, but he couldn't let Jaden keep control of the duel.

"That was pretty sweet! Don't ya think Chazz?" Jaden beamed.

"Shut up. You talk too much." Chazz dismissed, "I'll activate the spell card Chthonian Blast. I can destroy your Sparkman, and you take damage equal to half its attack points!"

Chazz 3600

Jaden 800

The faint sound of footsteps could be heard. Alexis turned her head towards the entrance of the arena, with a worried expression forming on her face.

"Reverse card open. Elemental Mirage allows me to bring back Sparkman in the same battle position as before." Jaden revealed, oblivious to the noise.

"Guys! Someone's coming. It could be campus security. If we get caught in here, we could be in serious trouble!" Alexis voiced.

"What?!" Syrus exclaimed, "Why am I so unlucky?!"

"Trouble? How would we get in trouble? We're all students here." Jaden wondered.

"It's cause there's no off-hour arena dueling." Chazz explained bitterly. He had the duel won…

"Why did you invite us here then?" Syrus yelped.

"I didn't invite you. I invited Jaden." Chazz said, turning off his duel disk and walking towards the arena's second exit.

"Jaden! Let's get out of here!" Syrus cried to his fellow Slifer who nodded his head hesitantly, disappointed that he couldn't finish such a fun duel.

* * *

The two stood on the edge of a cliff, which protruded into the clear waters. The waters reflected the island's tall pillars holding the main building in place. It was a starless night.

"Chazz… how could you? What if Jaden didn't find a way to take control of the duel? You tried to humiliate him. He could have got hurt." Alexis breathed.

"I would have been okay with that, as long as I won." Chazz responded sadly.

"How can you be so selfish? Is winning all that you think about?!" She cried, terrified by how obsessed he was with victory.

"It's all I have." He said, "I don't have anything else left. I lost my parents. I lost you… All I have is my brothers, and they'll only accept me if I win."

"I'm sure your brothers will accept you, even if you're the worst duelist in the world…"

"You don't understand…I'm a Princeton." He wanted to tell her about Gecko Industries and their rivalry with Princeton's. He wanted to tell her about the blue-eyed girl that he despised. He wouldn't for the same reason he did not tell her back in middle school. He didn't want her involved.

"I tried... I tried to understand Chazz. I just can't..." She shouted in frustration. Fighting back tears, she turned his back on him, running as far as she could from him.

Chazz breathed heavily, trying to steady himself. He wiped his eyes with the blue sleeves of his jacket. Princetons didn't cry.

He held a crimson card revealing a man in a blue blazer being bombarded by meteors, as another figure in white attire loomed over the dejected and hopless victim.

He recalled that Jaden had special summoned Sparkman using Elemental Mirage on the same turn it was destroyed. The trap, Meteor Stream would have inflicted a 1000 ponts of damage to Jaden, as the card's condition was met. Jaden only had 800 life-points left... He would have beat him with 3600 life-points to spare. It was almost the perfect victory.

But he knew that in the end, winning wouldn't have changed anything.

* * *

 **Well? Let me know what you guys thought. Tell me what was good, what needs work, etc. I can take in your considerations and hopefully try to improve for the next chapter. I hoped you all enjoyed and until next time!**


	2. Underneath the Mask

**Here's my second chapter! As for Bastion, he will not be in this chapter. However, he'll be showing up soon. I can tell you that he's going to be one of the most important characters for season 1. He will play a bigger role than Chazz actually.**

 **Enjoy :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh**

* * *

Syrus's heartbeat almost stopped. What if he failed?

The realization that he could fail the card mechanics test they had earlier that week frightened him. He had studied so hard too. He had stayed up all night for three nights before the exam. But perhaps that had been his mistake; he wasn't able to focus on the day of the test.

He imagined what Zane would say if he found out that his younger brother had failed. Syrus would never hear the end of it. His brother had always told him that he was a good duelist; it was just that his confidence was holding him back, or a lack of confidence should he say.

It had been over a week since Jaden had dueled Chazz in the arena, before being chased off by campus security. Syrus had tried to avoid the Obelisk completely. He didn't want to cause any trouble.

He already had his hands full with Jaden. This morning Jaden and Chumley had broken Jaden's gym locker by playing Frisbee with a duel disk. Jaden had laughed at Chumley after the older boy fumbled the duel disk. Chumley chucked the disk at Jaden in rage. Luckily, Jaden had ducked out of the way in time, but the disk had busted the gym locker's door in half.

Syrus was fortunate that the duel disk didn't break his locker door, which was right next to Jaden's. Unfortunately for him, however, Jaden had begged Syrus to use his locker for the time being.

He gave Jaden his locker combination, but he was still freaked. Jaden would probably lose his lock or something!

His attention returned to the quiz that he probably failed, noticing a blonde man in a ponytail straightening the pink trimmings of his blue blazer. Professor Crowler was about to release the test scores.

The giant black screen at the front of the room lit up, revealing a list of names next to a list of numbers. The numbers were in descending order from top to bottom representing the test scores in percentages, while the names next to the numbers were those of the students who had received that score.

Syrus recognized the two of the three names at the top. The first was Alexis Rhodes who had got a hundred percent, while the second was Bastion Misawa also with a hundred percent. Syrus had never heard of Bastion before. The third was Chazz Princeton who had got a score of ninety-eight percent. Talk about over achieving. Syrus would be grateful if he just passed.

His eyes drifted around the top of the screen at first, before slowly shifting downwards. By the times his eyes had reached the bottom of the screen, Syrus wanted to cry. He had received the lowest score with a mark of zero. He knew that he shouldn't have stayed up so late studying. Even Jaden did better than with a score of six!

There was a sea of voices that filled the rows of seats, where the students were sitting, reacting to the test results. Some were angered by the results, raising their voices ever so slightly. Others were cheerful, clearly happy about their scores. There were those who complimented Alexis and Bastion, and those who laughed at Syrus and Jaden.

"Now, now settle down class!" Crowler voiced, crossing his arms and waiting for the noise to die down. Once he realized that he had the students' attention, he continued, "Most of you passed this test as you can see. It wasn't supposed to be too hard, especially because I'm sure most you are familiar with card mechanics: the difference between a field spell and quick spell stuff like that. You have to understand card mechanics to be able to duel."

The professor then turned towards Syrus, sighing heavily. "I have no idea how anyone can manage to fail this test. If you fail the test, it means that you don't understand card mechanics, and you don't understand how to duel. It's shocking that you got into the school in the first place if you don't know how to duel. It's not like the school's called 'Duel Academy,' or anything."

The other students noticed that Crowler was looking straight at Syrus. His face was hot with embarrassment; he just wanted to disappear.

"So you guys could understand that I was really surprised when two students had actually failed the test. I don't want to mention any names…" Crowler then faked a cough, pointing straight at Syrus, "Jaden and Syrus."

Syrus whimpered quietly to himself, helpless in the eyes of the whole class.

"It's disappointing really, because your brother is one of the finest duelists I've ever seen." Crowler said, "I guess some people just aren't meant to duel. I would suggest dropping out Syrus, but it's only the first week. Things are only going to get worse from now on."

Syrus clenched his fists, his eyes not leaving the ground. He was always being compared to his brother. He was always in his shadow.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Jaden retorted from the seat next to Syrus.

"Yes, Mr. Six Percent, I mean Mr. Yuki." Crowler snickered.

"I failed this test too, so I guess it means that I don't know how to duel eit-"

"That is what I implied, yes. What's your point, kid?" The professor interrupted quickly.

"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't be trying to make a fool out of Syrus, because you lost to someone who doesn't even know how to duel. Me." Jaden smirked cockily, before patting Syrus on the back. There were snickers and snorts directed at the professor.

Crowler wanted to wipe that smirk off his face if that was the last thing he did. Jaden thought that he could humiliate him in front of his class like that, because he got lucky and beat him in one duel. It would not be tolerated any longer. He would see to it that this slacker would be expelled immediately.

* * *

"And then he was like 'because you lost to someone who doesn't even know how to duel. Me.'" Mindy gushed, "I thought it was really brave of him to stand up for his friend like that."

"It's great that Jaden stood up for Syrus like that, but you don't have to mention it for the tenth time today!" Alexis complained. Her friend was talking about Jaden's exchange with Crowler from class this morning, and frankly she was being quite annoying about it.

The two of them had just finished their last class of the day, and they were currently walking up the beige marble stairs that lead to their dorm room.

"Yesterday, I waved at him in the hallways, and guess what?"

"He waved back?" Alexis suggested in an annoyed tone, having heard this story before as well.

"Yes!" Mindy squealed. "I think things could really work out for us."

"Does he even know your name Mindy?" Alexis noticed that there was another girl coming down the stairs with short black hair.

"I think so. Maybe. Well, no, but baby steps girl, baby ste-"Mindy then lost her balance. She would have fell down the stairs, if she hadn't hung on to the banister at the last second. She turned her head noticing that some girl had bumped into her. "Hey, what gives?"

"You were in my way, what was I supposed to do?" The girl said angrily.

"Uh, I don't know. Maybe move out of the way!" Mindy retorted, "I almost fell down the stairs!"

"That's your problem. You got in the way, so it wouldn't be my fault if you fell."

Mindy's blood began to boil at the nerve of this girl. Who did she think she was? Her face burned up in anger. She was about to give this bitch a piece of her mind, before Alexis put a placating hand on her shoulder. Mindy took a look at her friend, who seemed to be warning Mindy to stay calm. This girl wasn't worth the fuss.

"Just be more careful next time…" Mindy muttered quietly, letting go of the banister, walking to the right side of the stairs, leaving a path on the left for the girl.

"You can't tell me what to do. You're only a first year." The girl spat.

"Excuse me?" Mindy responded, her eyes twitching in irritation.

"I said you're only a first year. Are you deaf or something?" She said rudely, "You all need to know who's in charge in this dorm, and that's me. Seika Koinhata."

"You don't have to be such a bitch…" Alexis said under her breath.

"Listen up prep. This is my dorm okay? I'm the queen around these parts, and I don't need you first years getting in my way." Seika asserted, "By the way, I overheard your conversation on my way down. Will you please tell your friend here how pathetic it is how she's so desperate for Jaden? She's so shallow and useless."

Mindy bit her lips, resisting the urge to hit her. She was such a narcissist, thinking she was better than everyone around her. She had admitted that her words hurt her, because deep down she knew that it was true; she was shallow and desperate.

She could see Alexis shaking next to her, rage palpable on her face. Clenching her fists, she watched, as Seika scoffed at them before continuing her way down the stairs. Alexis told herself that she would get Seika back. That bitch wouldn't get away with looking down on them like that. She was sure that wouldn't be the last time they saw Seika.

* * *

Crowler scribbled away, as a twisted grin formed across his face. He was creating an absolute masterpiece. Every stroke of ink from his white quill pen had to be executed with precision and delicacy. He had to make the letter look 'believable.'

After he finished, he placed the letter in a white envelope. He picked up a stick of lipstick from his table and smothered it all over his lips. He gave the center of the envelope a long smooch, laughing maniacally. "The big kiss-off!"

His plan was infallible. He was going to slip this fake love letter from 'Alexis,' into Jaden's gym locker. The boy would go nuts accepting 'Alexis's' offer to skinny dip, and make his way to the outdoor bath next to the girls' dorm. Crowler would be hiding in the bushes; he would wait until Jaden walked towards the outdoor bath. He would take a picture of the foolish Slifer and show it to Sheppard, and voila Jaden would be on the next boat out of the academy.

The professor made his way into the locker room. Earlier he had learned from the academy's records that Jaden's locker was number twenty-seven. He had also checked the records making sure that Jaden was in gym class during this time. The slacker would have a pleasant surprise waiting for him after he was done class. When he arrived, he noticed that locker number twenty-seven was empty, and did not have a door attached to it.

He began to panic, realizing that the records had lied to him. Locker number twenty-seven didn't even have a door attached to it. He banged his fists against the locker next to it, in frustration. To his surprise, the door opened, revealing two Slifer red jackets, two pairs of pants and a PDA.

Crowler curiously turned on the PDA. The screen's background was of his least favorite monster: Elemental Hero Flame Wingman. This must have been Jaden's PDA, only that slacker would make his background something so despicable. He grinned evilly, thinking of all the inappropriate things he could send to Jaden's contacts through the PDA. Perhaps he would ask Chancellor Sheppard for nude pictures, or send death threats to Ms. Hibiki.

His thoughts were put on hold, when he heard footsteps coming from behind him. In a hurry, he slipped the PDA and the lover letter into the locker, closing the lock-less door as best as he could.

The footsteps grew louder, as Crowler turned to face the whimpering wonder that was Syrus Truesdale. The boy froze in his place, shaking in trepidation.

"P-p-professor Crowler…" Syrus stammered, "W-what are you doing here? I mean w-what is such a decorated and accomplished professor like you doing in this smelly old locker room. Unless you like the smell of the locker room, then I apologize and you can continue to do whatever it was that you were doing…"

"I was leaving…" Crowler gave the stammering Slifer a strange look, as he walked past him towards the exit. The kid literally had no confidence, and seemed to be scared of everything. He figured that this kind of self-esteem was to be expected from the Slifer red group. They were all cowards.

Syrus collected himself, as he walked towards his locker. He was dismissed from gym early, because he fell off the treadmill, and hit his head on the ground. This day couldn't get any worse. He had already humiliated himself twice today.

He just hoped no one stole anything from his locker. Jaden had lost their lock earlier after Chumley hurled it into a toilet and flushed it down. Chumley was using one of the bathroom stalls, when Jaden thought it would be funny to throw wet paper towels in to the stall. Chumley retaliated by throwing the paper towels back at Jaden.

If that wasn't funny enough for Jaden, he then decided to hit Chumley's head with their lock. The older boy who was enraged did not throw the lock back at Jaden like he did was the paper towels. Instead, he smashed it into the toilet and disposed of it into the sewers.

They were all idiots, and weren't really helping with what was already a terrible day for him. He opened the locker door, noticing that there was a white envelope with a bright red lip stain on it. He ripped open the envelope carelessly, and took out a piece of paper. He read through it, smiling from ear to ear. Forget what he said about today being a bad day. It had just turned into the best day of his life.

* * *

"You can't guard me Chumley!" You can't guard me." Jaden said dribbling a basketball in his hand, as the older boy frantically moved his arms trying to get a steal. They were playing a one on one game at the street basketball court not too far away from their dorm. The court was at the edge of a hill and surrounded by a forest of trees. They had their shower privileges on the line.

The shower at their dorm was terrible. After it was turned on, the shower would rain lukewarm water for the first two minutes or so, and then the water would become freezing cold. They would have to wait a few hours before the lukewarm water returned. It would only last a couple minutes though.

They would normally shower in the gym locker room, but they were suspended from using the showers today, because the instructor was worried they would break the showers. Jaden had argued that it was pretty difficult to break a shower, without trying to. The instructor then argued that it was pretty much impossible to rip a metal locker door in half, but that they had somehow managed it.

"When it's crunch time, I lock down." Chumely said confidently. Contrary to this confidence, the boy had only managed to get one basket, while Jaden was one basket away from clinching the win.

Jaden smirked, moving the ball from side to side, hoping to find an opening. He had played on his middle school's basketball team for a few months, before he got injured.

He wasn't as talented at basketball as he was dueling, but he was still good enough give Chumley a nice workout.

He then took a step back, before jumping up and knocking down the ball into the basket.

"And that's game!"

"You carried the ball you cheater!" Chumley complained. He went under the basket to retrieve the ball. "It's my ball, and that basket didn't count."

Jaden just shrugged, as Chumley checked the ball. He gave Chumley a bit of space, so that the older boy could shoot.

"You're letting me shoot? Your loss." He then released the ball, which spun in a perfect arc that clanked the rim.

Jaden got the rebound, clearing it behind the three point line. Jaden stood at the corner, as Chumley ran towards him. He pulled up again, getting the ball into the net.

"You can't beat me Chumley. I wasn't on my middle school team for nothing."

"You told me you were on the second string!"

"I was... but our school was pretty good."

"You could have told me that at the start! I thought I could beat you!" Chumley roared, picking up the ball and chucking it into the woods, and down the hill.

Jaden shook his head, walking into the woods to retrieve the ball. "Talk about anger management issues…"

* * *

Alexis casually paced herself through a path that split open rows of trees and an array of bushes.

She was heading towards the Abandoned Blue Dorm: the dorm that her brother had occupied before he went missing. She had been told that all the students who had lived in the dorm had all gone missing. Students were forbidden to trespass, because they had believed there was something in the dorm that had caused the students to disappear, or someone.

That was exactly why she was heading there right now. Perhaps, she could find a clue as to why or how he had gone missing. It was extremely irresponsible and foolish, but she could take care of herself. She would rather try and do something, instead of waiting. She was sick of sitting around and crying about her brother.

Even if something bad did happen to her, it would be better than something bad happening to her friends. That's why she never told Mindy and Jasmine about how Atticus was missing; she didn't want to involve them.

Her footsteps came to a stop, as a basketball rolled gently in front of her. She looked at the direction it had come from and could see Jaden running towards her.

"Over here!" The Slifer yelled lifting his hands up. She tossed the ball into his hands, noticing that Jaden was drenched in sweat.

"Hey, aren't you Chazz's friend?" Jaden asked her, as he got closer to the Obelisk, "You were at the duel arena a while back."

Alexis winced at the mention of Chazz's name. She had felt sorry for Chazz at first, because of how hateful and angry he was all the time. But when she saw Chazz trying to look down on Jaden just because the Slifer enjoyed dueling, it disgusted her.

"No. I'm not his friend." She asserted sternly, "My name is Alexis Rhodes, by the way."

"I'm Jaden Yuki! Nice to meet you." He said, "Thanks for sticking up for me at the arena the other day. I appreciate it, even though I had the duel under control."

"It was nothing. It just got under my skin how he was trying to bully you, just because you like to have fun dueling." She vented.

"I guess Chazz was being a bit weird, but it was a fun duel at the end."

"He wasn't just being a bit weird, Jaden. He was trying to crush your confidence." She expressed, clenching her fists, as her nails pressed into her skin.

"Alexis." Jaden said softly, "Are you okay? You seem upset."

She sighed, shaking her head, "I'm sorry Jaden. It's just that Chazz and I used to be really close, but one day he changed. We drifted apart, because I didn't like the way he had changed. I tried to being his friend even after he changed, but it wasn't the same as before. He was so hateful and bitter. I felt bad for him at first, but now I just can't understand why he's acting that way."

"Do you know why he changed?"

"His parents died…After that he became obsessed with winning and crushing his opponents. He always justifies humiliating his opponents by saying that they were trying to disrespect his family's name, and he's just protecting his name. He says he needs to win all the time, because it's what his brothers expect. He needs to listen to his brothers because they're the only family he has left…It's kind of sad really, but it doesn't change how cruel Chazz can be."

"That's tough to deal with…" Jaden muttered. At first he thought that Chazz was just an arrogant duelist, but now he felt really bad for the boy. He didn't really know what to say to Alexis. The situation with Chazz was complicated, "Why is his family's 'name' and expectations so important? His brothers would love him even if he wasn't perfect, right?"

"I don't know why those things are so important to him…I wish I knew, but he never told me." Alexis sighed, pausing for a while before continuing, "He kind of used to be like you. He really liked to duel no matter who the opponent was."

"I guess that is just like me…" Jaden responded. Chazz seemed to be having trouble dealing with the loss of his parents. It wasn't like he was an expert at dealing with loss either. He remembered four years ago, when he had lost his friend Koyo Hibiki to a coma. He hadn't really dealt with it that well at all. He had suffered through depression, and it wasn't until Midori had let him open up to her about what he was going through that anything could be resolved at all. Maybe that was what Chazz needed: someone to be there for him.

"I'm sorry for taking up your time Jaden." Alexis told him, "I shouldn't be getting you involved in my problems."

'I shouldn't be getting you involved in my problems…' An echo of what he had told Midori years ago entered his subconscious. Maybe Chazz wasn't the only one with personal issues… Maybe there was something bothering Alexis as well. It was causing her distance herself from him. He wished there was something he could do to help her.

"I should get going, so I'll see you around Jaden!" She looked at him apologetically, continuing her path and walking away from the Slifer.

"Yeah…" Jaden waved, making his way up the hill of trees that he had come down from. He turned to take a glance at the Obelisk once more, before continuing to walk.

Alexis's footsteps continued to cover the length of the path, as her mind trailed off elsewhere.

 _Domino City flashed right in front of his eyes. He could see the rooftops of skyscrapers spread out across the light blue horizon. Cars dashed by underneath his feet, as he leaned his arms against the steel railing in front of him. He stood on the rooftop of Domino Mall: a skyscraper that pierced through the clouds._

" _You really saved my ass today." A short boy with spiky black hair exclaimed to the dark and light dragon that stood behind him, "I would have lost if it wasn't for your help."_

 _Suddenly, the sound of footsteps reverberated behind him. "Uh…nice dragon, Chazz."_

 _He turned to see a girl about his height with shoulder length blonde hair and hazel eyes. "Alexis? You can see him?"_

" _Yes…It's huge." Alexis, the girl he had dueled earlier, answered. He would have lost to her if he hadn't drawn his trusty dragon at the last second._

" _Wow." Chazz stated, "You're the only person I know other than me who can actually see my dragon."_

" _It's pretty hard to miss…" Alexis said skeptically._

 _Chazz then walked over to his partner, trying to touch the dragon's grand wings with his hand. He failed to do so, as his hand went straight through the wings, as if they weren't there at all._

 _"See, I can't actually feel him. I can only see and hear him. He's a duel spirit."_

 _Alexis almost freaked, "L-l-like a ghost?"_

" _No, no he's friendly." The dragon then approached Alexis, causing her to scream. She stood frozen in fear, as the dragon lowered his head, gently rubbing it against her face._

" _I-I can't feel its head…" She stammered._

" _He likes you." He made his way back to the steel railing, leaning his arms on to it again._

" _I'm sooo flattered." She remarked, her voice covered in sarcasm, "What the hell is this thing?"  
_

" _Don't you recognize him?"_

 _She recalled her duel with Chazz earlier. She had had the duel won, until Chazz miraculously drew Light and Darkness Dragon…_

" _He's the card you beat me with?" Alexis asked, astonished. "That still doesn't explain what it's doing here!"_

" _Honestly, I don't know why my card has a spirit form either, but he's always been with me since I got the Light and Darkness Dragon card. He appears from time to time, but usually he stays in his card. I've grown used to him, so I guess we're friends now."_

" _Listen to yourself! You're telling me that you're friends with a ghost, because you're used to it following you? You're insane."_

" _I guess it's just who I am hehe." Chazz laughed sheepishly, "I trust my partner. Besides how could he hurt me, he literally can't touch me."_

" _I guess it seems friendly…"Alexis muttered, looking away from Chazz._

" _What are you doing here, by the way?"Chazz asked, wondering what the girl could be doing at the top of Domino Mall._

" _I just like the scenery." Alexis made her way next to Chazz, resting her hands on the railing, "Everything is so small from up here. It makes me feel so important and insignificant at the same time."_

" _That's one way to put it." Chazz chuckled, "You feel important, because you're standing above everything. You're standing over the city that you grew up in, and in a way your childhood, so you feel like you've grown up. But at the same time, you realize that you are a part of those small specks down there, and how you're only a small part of a bigger picture."_

" _Yeah! You didn't need to get so philosophical though." She teased, but still happy that the boy understood her._

" _If you think that what I just said was philosophy, you have a pretty shallow taste." Chazz smirked, as she hit him playfully on the arm._

" _What brings you to the top of Domino Mall?" She said, smiling at him._

" _I'm actually entering my first dueling tournament this weekend, and I just needed a place to clear my head."_

 _"Oh, that's exciting. You'll probably do well, if you're just as lucky as you were today."_

 _Chazz laughed at this. "Yeah, but I want to make it to the finals."_

" _You might as well say that you want to win it all." She interjected._

" _That's not likely." Chazz told her. "You see it's a charity tournament sponsored by the pro duelist Koyo Hibiki. There are two hundred fifty-six duelists including Koyo, who are in the tournament's bracket. Koyo and I are on opposite sides of the bracket, so the only way I can duel him is if we both make it to the finals."_

" _Is Koyo your favorite pro duelist?" Alexis almost groaned.  
_

" _Yeah! He's awesome!"_

" _Ugh, you're such a bandwagon." Alexis complained, "I hate Koyo."_

" _Yugi fan, huh?" Koyo had won last year's pro league title, ahead of Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba, the annual favorites to win the league. Koyo had never actually beaten either of them, but he had beat every other opponent in the league, while Yugi and Kaiba lost to each other and other duelists in the league._

 _Koyo had gained a lot of fans, because of his first title. Yugi and Kaiba's longtime fans had labelled Koyo's new fans as bandwagons._

" _Yep! He's the greatest of all time. Koyo just got lucky last year." She claimed._

" _I was actually going to get his autograph for you when I met him this weekend, but I guess if you don't like him…"_

 _"I still want his autograph!" Alexis argued, "It would be great if you got it for me."_

" _If you admit that Koyo is better than Yugi, I might consider it." Chazz smirked._

" _You're deluded and you know it! I don't need that stupid autograph." Alexis pouted._

" _Are you sure?"Chazz grinned cheekily._

" _Please?" Alexis begged.  
_

She had been so upset at losing her brother that she didn't want to lose anyone else. That's why she had been so mad at Chazz. Before her brother disappeared, she only felt sorry for Chazz. Now she was disgusted with him. She was disgusted with the fact that she had lost him too. He would never be the same.

* * *

It was a black mask with two turquoise jewels embedded where his eyes were supposed to be, and a ruby at the center shining in the darkness of the room. It had once belonged to a friend, but now it was forever a part of his face.

He was called Nightshroud now. Almost all memories of his past were replaced by his loyalty to the chairman. The chairman was convinced that they should hold off the invasion until the Spirt Keys were found, and based on what Amnael had told them that wouldn't be for another two months. He was growing restless. He was tired of being confined to the dark and empty basement of the Abandoned Blue Dorm. They all were.

His fingertips brushed the cold surface of half a golden pendant tied around his neck, before his hands crawled on to the mask that covered his face. Underneath the mask he hid a single memory that had survived…

" _Atticus?' A boy, wearing a white jacket with layered green hair, trembled, fear drenching his voice, as he held a black mask in his hand._

" _Fuji…Where are you going?" Atticus, a boy, wearing the same white jacket with long dark brown hair, questioned._

" _I'm leaving the island. I don't know how long I will be gone…" The boy's voice trailed, before his gaze shifted towards the mask that he held in his hand._

" _For the past two weeks, you've been avoiding us Fuji, and now you're telling me that you want to leave the island? Is there a problem?" Atticus's expression changed to one of concern._

 _Fujiwara walked closer to Atticus, putting the black mask into his hands. "Keep this with you at all times, and don't put it on until you're in immediate danger… Understand?"_

 _Atticus was confused at his friend's behavior. Why was Fuji giving him this mask? Why would Fuji think that he would be in danger some day?_

" _Understand?" Fujiwara asserted more forcefully this time._

" _Yeah…" Atticus answered, "What's going on Fuji?"_

 _Fujiwara shook his head, before he began to speak slowly, "You and Zane are in grave danger."_

" _Why are we in danger, and if we are in grave danger shouldn't we let someone know?" Atticus interjected, slightly irritated that Fujiwara was being so vague._

" _You guys are in danger because you guys are friends with me…" Fujiwara continued, as every breath got heavier, "My adoptive dad… He wants me to come home, and he threatened to kill you guys if I didn't."_

" _W-what the fuck is wrong with him? Why would he threaten us like that? We need to call the police or something…" Atticus began to panic._

" _That'll only make things worse. He has connections with the higher ups in the police department…"_

" _You're not leaving Fuji. Your dad won't get away with threatening us like that, even if he knows a few guys in the police depart-"  
_

" _I'm leaving, and that's final! I don't want you guys to die… You guys are my best friends." Fujiwara bit his lips, looking away from Atticus to hide the teardrops that hung on to the corners of his eyes._

" _I don't understand Fuji. Why would your dad threaten to kill us, just to get you to come home? Who does he think he is?" He could tell that Atticus was getting restless.  
_

" _You don't know my father. I know from experience how ruthless he can be. I came to the academy to get away from him, but now he wants me to come back."_

" _Fuji…Let me help. I'll do whatever you need me to do. There has to be something that can be done!" Atticus pleaded, terrified at what would become of his friend after he left the island._

" _I'm afraid there's nothing you can do to help me, but you can still protect yourself._ _No matter what happens keep this mask with you at all time, and don't wear it, unless your life is in immediate danger." A single teardrop stroke Fujiwara's cheek, "One day you'll understand why…"_

A hard knocking noise freed Nightshroud from his trance. It was coming from above him. Someone was at the door of the dorm. He remained still. Amnael and the others would never knock on the front door. They could enter and exit as they pleased; there was no need to knock.

It was an intruder.

Unbeknownst to Nightshroud, up the stairs and behind the dusty, metal door was a blonde haired girl desperately hitting her fists against the door, irrationally hoping that her brother would open the door.

Alexis stopped pounding against the metal of the Abandoned Blue Dorm. To her dismay the door was locked. She had knocked in desperation. Predictably, there was no answer. She sighed heavily, walking away from the dorm, unaware that her brother was closer to her than she thought.

* * *

Syrus hummed merrily, skipping towards the outdoor bath next to the girls' dorm. He couldn't believe that Alexis had a crush on him since they had first met, which he recalled was last week on their first night at the academy. She must have thought he was really brave for showing up to the duel arena so late at night just to support his friend Jaden.

She had left a love letter for him in _his_ locker. They were to meet in the outdoor bath at nine o'clock. The letter had said that she wanted to bathe _together_. It was an impossible offer to refuse.

The bath was a giant, gold tub filled with hot, relaxing water, and surrounded by woods. The tub was encompassed by a circular gold wall, which had tall spiraling pillars on top of it, supporting a bright, oval roof.

Syrus approached the structure, as his heart pounded against his chest in excitement. 'This is it Syrus. You can do it.'

Hiding behind a bush from the woods around the tub, Crowler adjusted the magnification of his binoculars, as he saw a boy in a red jacket approach the tub. Crowler was wearing a black morphsuit, so that he could keep his identity, as a dignified professor, hidden. As the boy got closer, Crowler's jaws dropped, when he realized that the boy in the red jacket was not Jaden.

"That's not Jaden! That's the other Slifer Slacker!" Crowler screamed.

A group of girls had just exited the bath, noticing Crowler in panic.

"It's a boy!" They screamed, quickly wrapping a towel around their waist, and putting on their white Obelisk Blue jackets.

"I'm not a boy! I'm a man!" Crowler retorted, but then mentally cursed himself for being so dense.

"Look, he has a camera around his neck!" One girl said, "He was probably taking pictures of us!"

"He also has binoculars!"

"Pervert!"

"I'm going to kill him!" Another yelled.

The girls then began to sprint towards him. He freaked; he could get fired if Sheppard found out that he was 'taking naked pictures' of girls more than half his age. The camera was supposed to be used to expose Jaden!

Crowler would have to abandon his plan. He would get the Slifer expelled some other day.

As the crowd of girls ran closer to him, Crowler scrambled on to his feet, before making a break for it. If he had looked back, he would have seen Syrus being ambushed by another group of girls.

* * *

They were currently outside the girls' dorm, which resembled a miniature white castle with azure conical rooftops. The castle faced a serene lake, where the tides stood still, unless they were tasted.

"A love letter from Alexis?" You've got to be kidding me. Do you take her as the kind of person to send love letters?" Mindy crossed her arms, glaring at Syrus who had tried to explain to them that Alexis had wanted to go skinny dipping with him.

"Yep. Ask her." Syrus laughed sheepishly. He was ambushed just as he began to undress himself next to the tub. After getting beat up by a group of girls, which he wasn't particularly proud of, he had pleaded his case to Mindy and her friend Jasmine. He was getting interrogated, and things weren't looking great for him.

As if on cue, Alexis walked towards the two girls from behind Syrus, waving at them. She was returning from her trip to the Abandoned Blue Dorm, where she couldn't find anything that would tell her even the slightest idea of what had happened to her brother.

"Hey girls," She said, "Hey Syrus."

"Oh, Alexis, am I glad to see you!" Syrus breathed, relieved.

"You know this guy?" Jasmine questioned, shock clear on her face.

"Yeah, he's Jaden's friend."

"Did you send him a love letter?" Jasmine asked slowly; there was something seriously wrong with Alexis if she asked this guy to skinny dip with her.

"A love letter? No, why would I do that? Do I look like someone who would send love letters?" Alexis asked in horror.

"Ha! I knew it! Why would Alexis send a love letter to the dumbest guy in the school?" Mindy expressed quite bluntly.

Syrus clenched his fists. Mindy must have known about his test score. Of course she would know, the whole school knew. Crowler had exposed him in front of the whole class.

"It's true! I have the letter right here," Syrus exclaimed, taking out the folded piece of paper from his red jacket.

Alexis took the letter in her hand, unfolding it, and began to examine it. Mindy and Jasmine peeked over their friend's shoulders to read the letter with her.

"I'm sorry Syrus, but I didn't write this…"

"So you don't love me?"

"This guy really doesn't get it." Mindy interjected.

"And this note is made out to Jaden Yuki!" Jasmine said.

"Aw, I can't even get a fake lover letter," Syrus moaned. It seemed that this letter didn't make his day any better after all. It had just built up his hopes just to have them put down again. It was just an overall shitty day.

"I'm sorry Syrus." Alexis told him apologetically.

"Me too," He said dejectedly, his face hot with embarrassment.

"Wait, what if he wrote this letter just to have an excuse to come here?" Mindy inquired.

"We should report him for trespassing!" Jasmine proclaimed.

"Please... have mercy." Syrus begged.

"You said he's Jaden's friend, right?" Mindy asked suddenly, a mischievous grin forming across her face.

"Yeah." Alexis answered, not liking where this was going, "Why do you ask?"

"This is going to be a fun night." Mindy giggled.

* * *

"Yes! I knew choosing Cyndaquil was the right choice!" Jaden yelled, playing Pokemon Crystal on his Game Boy Color. It was one of his favorite past-times, when he wasn't dueling that is.

He had come back to the dorm, excited about his shower privileges. However, it seemed that he had been excited for nothing. While he was talking to Alexis, Chumley had made his way back to the dorm and had showered before him. Jaden had never had a colder shower in his life.

With that being said and done, he figured he might as well play Pokemon.

"Keep it down. I'm trying to sleep." Chumley yelled from the top of their bunk bed. "And Chikorita is the best starter, dumb-ass."

"You play Pokemon too?" Jaden asked excitedly.

"I used to, but I quit because I realized Pokemon's a dumb game."

Jaden gasped, how could Chumley say such a thing? "You can't mean that…"

"I mean it. You essentially enslave as many animals as you can to fight each other until they're put in a condition, where they need to go to the hospital to be healed. And don't get me started on Nurse Joy! That woman cannot be trusted…"

"Sheesh, it's just a game bro." Jaden gave Chumley a strange look. He worried for that kid sometimes.

Suddenly, his PDA began to vibrate on the small wooden table that faced their bunk bed. It was a voice message, just like the one he got from Chazz a few days ago, challenging him to the duel that they never finished.

"We have your friend, Syrus, hostage! If you want him back, come to the girls' dorm." An ominous voice played.

"Oh shit dude! The girls 'dorm, huh?" Chumley said, "Someone probably wants your dick."

"Why the hell would anyone hold Syrus as a hostage?" Jaden muttered to himself, shaking his head.

"So are you going? If you're not, then I'll go for you." Chumley added.

Jaden looked at Chumley, whose head was poking out from his covers on the top bunk. The older boy looked eagerly at Jaden. Jaden chuckled silently in disbelief, before leaving the room. There was definitely something wrong with that guy.

* * *

Jaden arrived at the girls' dorm on a small white row boat, causing ripples to resonate on the surface of the serene lake. It was quicker to get there on boat instead of walking all the way around the lake in front of the dorm.

As he got closer to the grand, white castle in front of him, he saw Alexis, Syrus, and two other girls who looked very familiar.

"Hey, Jaden" Syrus said, as Jaden docked the boat at the riverbank.

"So what's going on here?"

"Well to make a long story short. I'm basically a big loser." Syrus told him.

"Your friend here trespassed into the girls' campus." Mindy said, "And now that you're here. You're trespassing too. And if you don't want us to report you, you're going to have to take off your shirt."

"Wait, what?!" Everyone except the black-haired girl shouted in surprise.

"Well, we can't just let them get away with trespassing for free." Mindy answered innocently, curling her fingers around the two strands of hair that stuck out form each side of her head.

"How about we have a duel? If I win, we'll report you, and if you win, we'll let you go." Alexis said simply, shaking her head at how immature Mindy could be at times. She had wanted to duel Jaden. He had beat Crowler and held his own against Chazz, which had impressed her. She was curious to see how she would fare against the Slifer. It would be interesting.

"Sounds good to me!" Jaden grinned cockily," I won't lose."

Alexis's expression softened. His confidence reminded her of Atticus.

* * *

It was Mindy's idea to duel at the middle of the lake.

The group had grabbed another rowboat, making their way to the middle of the lake. Alexis stood on one boat with Jasmine sitting behind her. Jaden stood on the other with Mindy and Syrus sitting behind him.

"If I fall off, you're going to save me right, Jay?" Mindy asked.

"Of course!"

"You're so brave!"

'Figures.' Alexis should have known that Mindy had a motive when she suggested they duel on the boats.

The duel disk on their arms extended, as Jaden and Alexis drew their cards. Alexis smiled ever so slightly; this was going to be fun.

Alexis 4000

Jaden 4000

"Ladies first," Jaden offered, receiving coos from Mindy behind him.

For some reason, Alexis wanted hit her. She rolled her eyes, adding her sixth card into her hand. Her hand consisted of Cyber Tutu, Cyber Gymnast, Snow Fairy, Pure Pupil, Prima Light, and Warrior Returning Alive.

"I summon Snow Fairy in attack mode and end my turn." A blue and white pixie that resembled an ice sculpture appeared on the field. (ATK 1100/DEF 700)

"Sweet card. " Jaden complimented. He examined his hand: Elemental Hero Burstinatrix, Elemental Hero Clayman, Elemental Hero Necroshade, Hero Signal, Polymerization and the card he drew was Card Trooper.

"Go Jaden!" Mindy cheered from behind him.

Jaden turned to smile at her in response, causing Alexis to clench her fists.

"I'll fight ice with fire. I summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in attack mode!" A heroine in red spandex with long black hair was summoned. (ATK 1200/DEF 800), "Attack Snow Fairy!"

A red fire ball formed in Burstinatrix's hand as it blasted Snow Fairy into the graveyard.

Alexis 3900

Jaden 4000

"That was for you, uh…um I forget your name." Jaden paused, looking at Mindy who looked a bit annoyed.

"It's Mindy!"

"Oh right!" Jaden chuckled, "I'll throw down a face-down and end my turn." Jaden continued, setting his Hero Signal in face-down position.

Alexis smirked at Jaden not knowing Mindy's name, before turning her focus to the duel. There was nothing special yet. It seemed the two were very reserved in their moves so far, testing what the other would come up with. Alexis drew Pot of Greed.

"I use Pot of Greed," Alexis said, feeling no need to explain the effect of the commonly used card. She drew Blader Skater and Polymerization. "I summon Cyber Tutu in attack mode." A ballerina with pink hair and a visor that covered her eyes emerged. (ATK 1000/DEF 800)

"Now if my opponent, you, controls a monster with higher attack points than this card, My Cyber Tutu can attack you directly!"

Alexis 3900

Jaden 3000

"I'll set two face-downs, and leave it to you." She set Prima Light and Pure Pupil.

"That's a pretty interesting card." Jaden remarked.

"Thank you." She replied quietly.

"I have some interesting cards too!" Mindy interrupted, causing Alexis, and even Jasmine and Syrus to groan.

"My move," Jaden cried, as he drew Elemental Hero Sparkman into his hand. He smirked. "I activate Polymerization, fusing Sparkman and Clayman from my hand to summon Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!" A giant in a yellow and purple robotic suit materialized on the field. There was a blue ball of lightening implanted on its chest. (ATK 2400/DEF 1500)

"Now I activate its effect, which lets me… Huh? A counter trap?"

"That was your first mistake." Alexis smirked, as she pressed the button on her duel disk to open her reverse card. "Pure Pupil: I can negate the effect of Thunder Giant and destroy it, as long as I control a monster with 1000 or less attack points, which is Cyber Tutu by the way."

"But I just summoned him…" Jaden complained.

"Pretty neat, huh Jaden?" Alexis commented.

"I think it's pretty sweet."

"I think you're sweet too!" Mindy blurted.

"Hey thanks you too!" Jaden answered, causing Mindy's face to grow warm.

'Maybe Seika was right. She is desperate...' Alexis sighed.

"I haven't normal summoned yet, so I sacrifice my Burstinatrix to summon Elemental Hero Necroshade!" A tribal warrior with ivory shoulder pads and red flesh replaced Burstinatrix. (ATK 1600/DEF 1800) He was glad that he could get Necroshade on the field this early on. Necroshade would be useful, even though Jaden expected it to get destroyed sooner or later.

"Attack!" Jaden announced, as Necroshade sneaked up behind Cyber Tutu, crushing the ballerina with its arms.

Alexis 3300

Jaden 3000

"I draw!" Alexis exclaimed, drawing Cyber Prima into her hand. "I'll use Warrior Returning Alive to return Cyber Tutu to my hand, and summon her! I'll attack you directly using Tutu's effect again!"

Alexis 3300

Jaden 2000

"Now I use my face-down quick spell. Prima Light! I send Cyber Tutu to the grave, and special summon Cyber Prima from my hand!" A humanoid creature in a grey spandex and a red masquerade mask basked in its glory as a bright light reflected its slim white hair. (ATK 2300/DEF 1600)

"Wow…First Chazz, and now you… This academy's full of great duelists. I'm getting so hyped!" Jaden admired.

"Uh Jay, I don't think this is the time for compliments…" Syrus warned Jaden. If Jaden lost, they would get reported and probably expelled, and so far things weren't looking up for his friend.

"I'm a good duelist too!" Mindy announced, "You can duel me any day."

"Awesome!" Jaden then drew Elemental Hero Bladeedge into his hand.

"I change Necroshade into defense mode, and end my turn!"

'That was all? He was the boy who beat Crowler, and all he did was change his monster into defense mode. She figured that she expected too much of him. She had expected him to turn the duel around in one turn.' Alexis drew Battle Fusion into her hand. She was a little disappointed that she was beating Jaden like this. Jaden did manage to summon a fusion monster at the beginning of the duel, but she expected a bit more of a challenge. "Cyber prima attacks Necroshade."

"I activate my trap, Hero Signal!" Jaden announced, as a black projection of the letter H penetrated the dark skies, "I can special summon a level 4 or lower Elemental Hero monster from my deck. Come forth, Bubbleman in defense mode!" A light blue bat-man with grey water tanks on its back kneeled in front of Jaden. (ATK 800/DEF 1200)

"When Bubbleman is normal summoned, flip summoned, or special summoned, and it's the only card I control, I can draw 2 cards!" Jaden drew Fifth Hope and Soul Union.

"It seems that's the card you use when you need extra cards in your hand." Alexis remarked.

"That's right!"

"Interesting. I'll end my turn."

Jaden's hand flew across his face holding up his next card: Hero Barrier.

"I summon Elemental hero Bladeedge in attack mode!" Jaden exclaimed. A warrior made of golden blades shook the waters of the lake. (ATK 2600/DEF 1800)

"Jaden, I know you're getting desperate and she's really good, but cheating is not the answer!" Syrus shouted from behind him.

"What's wrong with that? I like bad boys." Mindy purred, causing Alexis and Jasmine to cringe.

"Yeah, what's wrong with you? You can't summon a level 7 monster without two sacrifices!" Jasmine complained.

"But I can." Jaden grinned, "Because when my Necroshade is in the graveyard, I can summon one level 5 or higher Elemental Hero monster without sacrificing!"

"That's why you summoned Necroshade, even though it was a relatively weak level 5 monster. You wanted me to destroy it!" Alexis concluded. This seemed more like the Jaden that had beat Crowler and kept up with Chazz.

"I'll change Bubbleman to attack mode." Jaden continued, "Bladeedge, attack Cyber Prima!"

The golden warrior sliced through the lady.

Alexis 3000

Jaden 2000

"Bubbleman attack directly! Bubble Shot!" Jaden yelled, as Bubbleman's wrist gun shot out holographic water at Alexis.

Alexis 2200

Jaden 2000

"I'll throw down two face-downs, and end my turn." Jaden set Soul Union and Hero Barrier face-down, while his hand still consisted of Card Trooper and Fifth Hope.

"Hooray Jaden!" Syrus cried out, as his friend seemed to turn the tables. Alexis had no cards on her field left.

"No wonder he beat Crowler…" Jasmine awed.

"He's so hot…"Mindy added, causing Alexis to glare at her.

"You intentionally got Necroshade destroyed to summon a level 7 monster so quickly." Alexis complimented. He was a difficult opponent indeed, "That was pretty good."

"Well you're not so bad yourself, countering me from using Thunder Giant's effect, then summoning a powerful monster like Cyber Prima. This is really fun duel!"

"I won't lose. Alexis said confidently, as she drew De-Fusion. "I summon Cyber Gymnast in defense mode." A blonde tanned lady with black and purple leggings was on its knees as it faced Bladeedge and Bubbleman. (ATK 800/DEF 1800)

"I can see that you're trying to be defensive, but Bladeedge can inflict piercing damage."

"Piercing damage? That would be pretty useful if Bladeedge is still around at the end of this turn.' Alexis challenged, "I discard De-Fusion from my hand to use my Gymnast's effect. Say farewell to Bladeedge!"

"Farewell." Jaden responded, as Bladeedge was sent to his graveyard.

The cards left in her hand were Blader Skater, Polymerization, and Battle Fusion. She needed to draw one card to seal the duel and just hoped that Cyber Gymnast could protect her this turn.

"Amazing…Even when I think I read your strategy, I haven't read it well enough." Jaden said out loud.

"Well I learned from the best." Alexis answered, with a hint of sadness.

"Better than you?"

"No way." Alexis smiled ever so slightly; there was no way she would admit that Atticus was better than her.

Jaden shrugged, drawing H-Heated Heart, "I'll summon Card Trooper in attack mode!" A miniature red robot with a blue base and yellow spherical shoulder pads had formed on the field. (ATK 400/DEF 400)

"Uh Jaden, are you good?" Syrus worried since Card Trooper was too weak to destroy Cyber Gymnast.

"Shut up Syrus, Jaden has a plan and I know it!" Mindy exclaimed.

"She's right. I use H-Heated Heart to give my Bubbleman a boost of 500 attack points!"

"But Jay, Bubbleman is not strong enough to destroy Cyber Gymnast either."

"You worry too much." Jaden then sent the top 3 cards of his deck to the grave yard: Take Over 5, Elemental Hero Wildheart, and Elemental Hero Avian, "Card Troopper gets 500 attack points for every card I send from the top of my deck to the graveyard as long as I don't send more than 3 cards to the grave. Now my Card Trooper has 1900 attack points!"

"Oh. I knew you were going to do that…" Syrus said sheepishly.

"Attack Cyber Gymnast!" Card Trooper's cylindrical arms shot purple lasers, causing the Gymnast to disintegrate from the field, "Bubbleman attack directly again!"

Alexis 900

Jaden 2000

"She's losing…" Jasmine remarked. She had never seen her friend struggle this much in a duel. Even, Mindy was surprised that Jaden was beating her. Mindy looked incredulously at Jaden with a new found admiration.

Alexis grinned. She hadn't had an opponent this tough since Atticus.

"I use the spell Fifth Hope!" Jaden explained, "I return five Elemental Heroes to my deck from my grave, and draw two cards. I'll return Bladeedge, Clayman, Burstinatrix, Necroshade, and Avian!"

Jaden drew E-Emergency Call and Gift of the Martyr. "I activate E-Emergency call to add Bladeedge from my deck to my hand."

"I'm guessing you sent Avian to the grave using Card Trooper. You then used Fifth Hope to bring Bladeedge back to your deck, which you now added to your hand using E-Emergency Call. You seem to use your deck as if it's your hands and legs. It flows really well." Alexis mused.

"Thanks Alexis. You read all that? Wow, you seem to know your opponent's moves even before they do."

"Not with you!" Alexis giggled, "You're a very unpredictable duelist."

"Well with the thousands of possibilities of my Elemental Hero deck it's impossible to be predictable."

Her hand flew across her face, holding her next card. A slight curve formed across her face; it was time. "I use Polymerization! I fuse Etoile Cyber and Blader Skater to fusion summon my ace Cyber Blader in attack mode!" A creature with long blue hair and a red visor, wearing skates materialized on the field. (ATK 2100/DEF 800)

"When you control 2 monsters on the field, my Blader's attack points double!"

"4200 attack points?!" Syrus screamed in dismay; this was it for them. If this attack went through, both of them would be expelled. This was officially the worst day of his life.

"Jaden this duel is mine!" Alexis exclaimed as she pointed towards Bubbleman. Jasmine looked content that her friend had managed to bounce back, while Mindy looked very worried that Jaden was about to lose.

"I activate Hero Barrier!" Jaden countered, as Cyber Blader's attack was negated, "If I control an Elemental Hero monster, I can negate your attack just once!"

Syrus and Mindy breathed a sigh of relief.

"I predicted that my ace wouldn't be able to finish you off so easily." Alexis muttered, beginning to respect the Slifer so much more. She set Battle Fusion face-down.

Jaden drew Quick summon, as he began to assess his options. As long as he controlled 2 monsters, Alexis's Cyber Blader would stay at 4200 attack points. The best option would be to normal summon Bladeedge.

"I tribute Bubbleman and Card Trooper to summon Bladeedge!" Jaden's hero in golden armor took the stage once more. (ATK 2600/DEF 1800) "And because Card Trooper was destroyed I draw one more card." Jaden drew Dark Catapulter.

"Cyber Blader can't be destroyed in battle if my opponent controls only one monster."

"Alexis this has been a great duel. Thank you for that, but I think it's time for a winner."

Jaden's remark was met with silence.

"I'll activate Quick Summon to summon Dark Catapulter from my hand in attack mode, then I activate Gift off the Martyr. I send my Catapulter to the grave, and my Bladeedge gets a power boost equal to Catapulter's attack points until the end phase." (ATK 3600/DEF 1800)

"Nice move," Alexis said with no emotion.

"Your monster might not be destroyed in battle, but you still take 1500 points of damage, and with 900 life points left I think you can do the math!" Jaden declared, "Bladeedge attack!"

Jaden had let his guard down. Her expressionless face was a ploy to have him think that he had the duel won. She had practiced it on Atticus when they used to duel, even though her brother would see through her trick most of time. "I use my quick-play spell Battle Fusion. When an attack is declared involving a fusion monster, the monster I control gains attack points equal to my opponent's monster until the end phase!" Cyber Blader (ATK 5700/DEF 1800)

"That means…" Syrus deducted that Jaden would lose.

"What a duel." Jasmine commented.

"Jaden if you take off your shirt for me; I'll talk to the girls, and we won't report you."

Jaden and Alexis ignored all this, their concentration on the duel.

"Reverse card open," Jaden revealed, "Soul Union lets an Elemental hero on my field gain attack points equal to an Elemental Hero I select in my graveyard. I choose Thunder Giant!" Bladeedge (ATK 6000/DEF 1800)

"I haven't had a duel as exciting as this before. Even when I think I have you, you manage to find a way to counter everything I throw at you. Jaden Yuki… I haven't met a duelist as strong and passionate since my brother. You're amazing. I can't help but get excited. This is a really fun duel!"

"You really pushed me to my limit, Lex… Your strength is inspiring. I'm just trembling with excitement."

Alexis 600

Jaden 2000

"But because of Cyber Blader's effect it stays on the field!"

Jaden and Alexis then both simultaneously started burst out laughing. Mindy, Jasmine, and Syrus gave the weird looks, as if they were crazy. The laughter ensued for a few minutes, before Jaden spoke, "I thought I had the duel won."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's got into me, but I'm really enjoying this duel Jaden."

"Earlier you said, you haven't met a duelist as strong as me since your brother. Was he good?"

"To be honest, he was great. As cocky and annoying as he was, he was always ranked in the top 3 at Duel Academy."

"Sounds like he's really strong; you should introduce me to him."

Alexis frowned; her eyes looked down into the waters of the lake, as her despondent expression reflected back at her. She wondered if she should lie to him, and tell him that his brother was in America for an exchange program.

"He's missing. He's been gone for the past six months…"

Mindy and Jasmine's expression changed to one of sympathy and shock. How could Alexis not tell them?

"Why didn't you tell us, Lex?" Mindy asked quietly.

"I didn't want you guys to be worried about me." She said lamely.

"You should have told us. We're your friends. We care about you." Mindy raised her voice, "You're too selfless. That's your problem."

Alexis stood still, as Jasmine grabbed her by the waist, hugging her from behind.

"You don't have to deal with this alone." Jasmine spoke.

"We're here for you, Lex! Let us help you." Mindy pleaded.

"Hey, I know it's not my place to talk, but I agree with Mindy. I lost my friend a while back. He went in a coma, and he's been like that for the past few years. I was so upset that I isolated myself from everyone. I wouldn't let anyone help me. That was probably the worst time of my life. It wasn't until his sister came to comfort me and help me get through it that I was able to find myself again." Jaden spoke, "You shouldn't isolate yourself Alexis. If you need anyone to talk to or just be there for you, I'm here. I understand. You won't be a burden to me or anyone, but you'll only be a burden to yourself if don't let us help. You're a strong girl; you'll get through it."

Alexis looked at Jaden gratefully. He was right. She had isolated herself from everyone else, ever since her brother had gone missing. She would only try to help others with their problems, instead of letting anyone involved with hers.

She had always thought that she would only be a burden to others. She was glad that Jaden understood that, and how he was happy to be there for her.

"Promise us Alexis. Promise us that if you have a problem, you'll tell us about it." Mindy told her sternly. The black-haired girl then tried to find a steady rhythm to her breathing. Jaden was being really sweet, and it was melting her heart. All this time she was shallow enough to think that Jaden was just eye candy, but now she saw that Jaden had a serious side. It was turning her on even more.

"I promise." Alexis smiled, looking into Jaden's dark brown eyes. He was really something.

"I'll leave it to you then." Jaden said, pressing the button on his duel disk that indicated the end of his turn Cyber Blader and Bladeedge's attack strength dropped back to their original attack points.

Alexis's hand reached for the top card in her deck….'A fitting outcome' She thought to herself, setting a card face-down and ending her turn.

"I draw!" Jaden drew Grade Sword into his hand," I activate Grade Sword! My Bladeedge gains a boost of 300 attack points!"

Bladeedge (ATK 2900/DEF 1800)

"Bladeedge, let's finish this!" Jaden exclaimed, as he pointed towards Cyber Blader. The golden warrior leaped into the air, with his new sword, as he got ready to slice Cyber Blader in half. The attack seemed to make contact, causing holographic smoke to cover the field.

"Who won?" Mindy asked her heart pounding in anticipation.

A crimson card of a dancing lady in an elegant pink dress stood on Alexis's field.

"Doble Passe?" Jaden questioned.

"When my opponent declares an attack on a face-up attack position monster I control. I make that into a direct attack." Alexis explained calmly.

"Why would you use such a suicidal tactic?"

"Because then I inflict my opponent with damage equal to the attack points of the attack target I control."

"That means…" Jaden deducted.

"That's right Jay!" Alexis exclaimed.

Alexis 0

Jaden 0

* * *

 **Well that's it for now. As you can see, Jaden and Alexis are pretty even in terms of skill. Most of the first year characters will be evenly matched like Jaden, Chazz, Alexis, Jesse, and Bastion, even though Chazz had Jaden beat in the first chapter. Please review, tell me what was good and what I can work on, as I'm just trying to get better with every chapter.**


	3. Emptiness

**Here's the next chapter of Generation X. This chapter is a bit long, but the next two will be significantly shorter than this one. The plot will start to thicken around chapter 7. Also, there are actually three 'chairmen,' in this story. There's the chairman of Gecko Industries, the chairman that Banner and Nightshroud works for, and Kagemaru who is the chairman of duel academy. Also, there are no OC's in the story; all the characters in the story is from the anime, manga, or the original Yu-Gi-Oh series (ex. Kaiba, Yugi, etc.)**

 **I hope you enjoy, and tell me what you think!**

* * *

Thousands of people in the sellout crowd exploded into cheers, as a man wearing a red jacket over a white shirt with dark brown hair held up his arm to acknowledge his fans. Koyo Hibiki would be advancing to the finals.

The roars were deafening, and echoed throughout the stadium. Koyo stood on a green oval platform surrounded by rows of seats occupied by a sea of spectators. He hadn't expected so many people to show up. It was an unofficial tournament. He had hosted and sponsored the tournament himself to raise money for charity.

He was also the only duelist at the tournament who wasn't under fourteen years of age. The participants were local middle school students, who had entered in hopes of facing Koyo. It was a good way for him to get back into dueling, while the kids could have fun.

Ever since he lost to a mysterious duelist months ago, he had fallen ill and checked into the Domino City hospital. He was going to tell the commissioner of the pro league that he was unable to duel in the coming season, because of his poor health. However, Jaden Yuki, a young boy he met at his time at the hospital, encouraged him to try to duel this season, and retain his title from the year before. He didn't want to disappoint Jaden.

He had been dueling all weekend, and he felt great. He was in the finals, which meant that there was only one more duel left for him. The sound of the PA announcing his next opponent became inaudible within the cheering. The duel wasn't for a couple hours, so he would have to wait and see who his opponent would be.

He waved at the crowd once more, before exiting through one of the arena's tunnels. As he exited, his fans extended their hands over the railing on the stands. He grinned, clapping his hand with theirs'.

He was back.

* * *

Koyo walked along a bright corridor. On each side of him were burgundy velvet ropes attached to golden stands. His feet marched along the soft grey mat that stretched out in front of him. He could see a boy with black spiky hair walking towards him.

"Koyo!" The boy exclaimed, as a smile threatened to rip open his face.

Koyo took a few steps to get closer to the boy. The pro duelist gave him a wave, as he met the boy's dark eyes.

"Can I have your autograph Koyo pro?" The boy asked excitedly, holding up the two white t-shirts that he held in his hands.

"Of course." Koyo answered enthusiastically, taking the shirts into his arms.

"Hold up, I need to get you a marker" In his excitement, the boy aggressively pulled out a marker from his pockets; the force of the pull caused a card in his pocket to drop on to the ground. He gave the marker to Koyo.

"What's your name?" Koyo asked.

"My name's Chazz!" The boy told him.

"Okay so I guess I'll make it out to Chazz." Koyo nodded, signing one of the two t-shirts.

"Can you make the second one out to Alexis?" Chazz interjected, "I promised my friend I would get her your autograph."

"No problem." Koyo then proceeded to sign the second shirt. He noticed that there was an image of a massive white humanoid figure with a sapphire attached to its forehead on the front of each t-shirt.

He chuckled, recognizing the image as his ace monster card: Elemental Hero Terra Firma. "Nice t-shirts! I approve."

"Thanks! I'm a huge fan. I've watched all your duels! You're the greatest duelist of all time."

"I wouldn't say I'm the greatest. There are a lot of good duelists out there." Koyo remarked, "Is your friend a fan too?"

"She's a Yugi fan, but I'm trying to get her to support you." Chazz shook his head, as if he disapproved of his friend's taste in pro duelists, "I think these autographs will help for sure!"

Koyo just laughed at this, noticing the card that Chazz had dropped on the ground from earlier. He reached down to pick it up, examining the boy's card.

"Light and Darkness Dragon, huh?"

"Yeah, it's my favorite card." Chazz said cheerfully, before laughing sheepishly, "I guess I got too excited and accidentally dropped him on the ground…"

"It's definitely interesting…" Koyo muttered, as a brown fur-ball with wings emerged on the pro's shoulders. The creature had golden pupils and looked at the card curiously.

"No way! It's Winged Kuriboh." Chazz cried, noticing this creature.

Koyo then took a glance at the creature that had just emerged on his shoulder, and then turned to face Chazz.

"You can see him, huh?" Koyo looked at the boy intently with a hint of fascination in the pro's eyes. Did the boy have the same ability that he did?

"Yeah, is he a duel spirit?"

Koyo nodded in response to Chazz's question.

"Wow…Winged Kuriboh is a duel spirit just like my dragon! I remember when you beat the D with Winged Kuriboh Level 10! It was awesome."

He shouldn't have been too surprised that the dragon was a duel spirit as well, since Winged Kuriboh seemed to sense something from the card. Koyo smiled warmly at the enthusiastic boy; his enthusiasm reminded him of Jaden. "I'm surprised you remember that. That was quite a while ago, and it was only an exhibition."

"Well, I'm your biggest fan!" Chazz asserted, beaming at the pro.

The pro handed Light and Darkness Dragon back to Chazz. "This card is pretty special. If you combine it with the right cards, you could probably compete at a really high level. Just believe in this card, and you're going places kid."

"I will! One day I'm going to be a pro just like you Koyo." The boy said confidently.

"I look forward to that day. Maybe we'll duel each other in the pro leagues." Koyo patted the boy on the shoulder.

"We're going to duel each other in a couple hours! I'm your opponent in the finals." Chazz added.

The light in Koyo's eyes brightened, as he couldn't help but smile. The boy had dueled his way to the finals; Koyo was definitely impressed. It was going to be a fun duel, especially if Chazz was going to use that card.

"I guess you were talented enough to make the finals. I congratulate you for that." Koyo beamed, "But I won't lose, Chazz."

"I'm just excited to duel you! I worked so hard to make it this far." Chazz's heart beat with excitement, when his idol congratulated him; he felt light-headed. It was incredible that he was talking to him in person. Watching Koyo on TV was how Chazz got into dueling in the first place, and to be able to duel the man who had inspired him meant the world to the boy.

"Let's have a great duel Chazz."

* * *

It had felt like hours.

Chazz stood on the green platform of the stadium. The crowd was chanting Koyo's name. The boy expected his opponent to emerge from the tunnel across from him any minute now.

It had been a great weekend, and he had enjoyed many exciting duels. His next duel would be the greatest duel he would ever have. Chazz knew Koyo was more than capable of ending the duel in one to two turns. He would have to try his best to make the duel last as long as possible. He had made it this far; he would make sure that he would enjoy every moment of it.

"Introducing the reigning pro league champion: Koyo Hibiki!" The PA boomed, causing the fans' roars to become deafening. Chazz expected Koyo to walk out of the tunnel taking the PA's signal to take the stage, but it didn't happen. No one came out of the tunnel.

After a few minutes, the noise had settled down, as the audience wondered where there favorite pro duelist could be. Chazz's initial excitement began to melt into slight concern. Koyo had promised him a great duel, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Eventually, the crowd was dead silent, as Chazz stood on the platform alone, desperately waiting for his opponent. What had happened to Koyo?

He stood there for what seemed like hours. Every second that passed caused him to worry even more. He had made it this far; Koyo had to show up.

Chazz could tell the audience was becoming restless, as well. If the fans hadn't respected the defending champion so much, the stadium would probably have been filled with boos. He could feel the tension in the crowd.

As Chazz was about to lose hope, the PA started up.

"Koyo Hibiki will not be able to duel tonight. Security found him unconscious in the press room. The ambulance has been called, and Koyo will be re-located to the hospital immediately, where his condition will be assessed. We apologize for the delay."

* * *

Chazz watched as men in green safety vests carried an orange stretcher into the backdoor of an ambulance. He noticed that the top of the stretcher was covered in blue sheets, hiding Koyo's body. He trembled in fear at the sight of this. It was terrifying to see his hero in this condition. Would he be okay?

He bit his lips, standing in front of the giant grey dome illuminated by neon lights. The boy had exited the stadium, after the PA's announcement, like many others. The other fans stood around him, watching helplessly as their favorite duelist was being stretchered away. The voices of those around him and the sirens of the ambulance reverberated through the air. He had never heard sirens this loud.

"Damn it!" Chazz cursed out loud. A mixture of dread and disappointment tore into his stomach, as he began to feel his heart shaking. To see his hero so vulnerable and powerless, it was tough to bear. Something dark began to stir within him, telling him that Koyo would never recover. The man who he looked up to the most could be gone from his life forever. They would never duel against each other…

He felt his eyes burning, expecting at any moment to break down in tears. The tears would not fall. He remained still. Dread overwhelmed him, but he was unable to react to it.

Koyo had promised him that they would have a great duel…He had won duel after duel just to challenge the man who had inspired him to fall in love with the game. It had crushed him to see Koyo like this.

"No! It's all my fault…I should have never convinced him to do this… Please be okay, Koyo…" A voice cried. It was a boy around his height with untidy brown hair. The boy had tears in his chocolate brown eyes, choking frantically in exasperation. He stumbled after the ambulance, which was getting farther and farther away from the domed building.

 _Who was that boy?_

* * *

"Jaden Yuki!" Alexis cried in frustration, "You are unbelievable!"

"Thanks!" Jaden beamed, causing Alexis to grit her teeth, trying her best not to strangle the Slifer.

"I wasn't complimenting you!" Alexis almost shouted, "You can't have my Battle City DVD. It's limited edition; plus, you should be studying for you exams."

They were currently in Alexis's room, which was a fancy three bed suite. She sat on a swivel black lounge chair, while Jaden sat on Mindy's bed.

The bed was positioned across the swivel chair. Behind the chair was a long white table with an array of papers, different colored notebooks, and a textbook on top of it.

The school had promotion exams today; these were monthly exams that gave students the opportunity to upgrade their rank and dorm, unless they were in Obelisk Blue. The students in Obelisk were the ones that were the most stressed about these exams. They had nothing to gain, because they were ranked the highest in the school. Also, they couldn't fail, or they would be demoted.

To study for these stressful exams, Mindy and Jasmine had gone to the academy's library, leaving the two of them alone in Alexis's room.

"Can I just borrow it?" Jaden asked, "Please. I'll give it back!"

"That's what you said about my Duelist Kingdom DVD, but you ended up losing that." She groaned. It had been two weeks since her duel with Jaden, and they had grown close to each other, even though Alexis wanted to hit him half the time.

She had let Jaden borrow her Duelist Kingdom DVD, which Atticus had got her for a birthday; there was said to be only thirty copies of the DVD in the world. Atticus had won it in a junior tournament hosted by Seto Kaiba; he wasn't really a big fan of competing in tournaments, so it had meant a lot to her when her brother had entered just to get her a birthday present.

Jaden had borrowed the DVD, claiming that he would return it to her after two days. It had been at well over ten days now. Every time she asked the Slifer about the DVD, he had said he misplaced the disk somewhere in his room, and needed time to find it. He was pretty much telling her that he had lost the DVD.

Now, the boy wanted her Battle City DVD, which was also really rare. She would not let him borrow anything anymore, especially not the Battle City DVD.

"I told you I misplaced it." He chuckled sheepishly, "I haven't found it yet, but I'll text you when I do!"

"You better…" She glared at him. Jaden whimpered in response, tilting his head looking at her with his best 'puppy,' eyes.

They were cute, and Jaden looked adorable…but she couldn't let her guard down. The boy still had her DVD.

"Can I please have the Battle City DVD, Lex? I promise I'll return it tomorrow!" Jaden added.

"No!" Alexis asserted firmly. "Stop bothering me. I need to study, and you do too! Don't you want to get into Ra Yellow?"

"Yeah, but I was hoping I could just ace the practical exam, and not put any effort into the written." Jaden responded. The promotion exam was divided into two sections. There was the written portion, which were multiple choice and free response questions on duel strategies, the different effects of different cards, card mechanics, and more technical stuff that Jaden didn't really care about. The other section was the practical duel, where the students would be paired up against a random opponent, usually around their skill level. They would duel against each other, and there would be instructors assessing the students as they watched the duel. Jaden thought that he was a pretty good duelist, so he wasn't too worried about that portion of the test.

"I guess you can afford to do that since you're in Slifer, but Obelisk students get demoted if we don't get a score in the top thirty percentile." She complained.

"Well it's a good thing you're a smart girl and don't need to study as much as everyone else. I think you can give up a few minutes of studying to lend me the DVD." Jaden told her.

"Leave." Alexis got up from her chair, storming towards the door. She twisted the golden doorknob, hurling the door open. She pointed towards the exit, looking furiously at the Slifer.

"Fine." Jaden pouted, slowly getting off Mindy's bed. "I have to meet up with my tutor anyways."

"You have a tutor?" The Obelisk asked with a hint of surprise in her tone. Knowing Jaden's work ethic, it was surprising that he put in the effort to find himself a tutor.

"Yeah, and she's going to help me get into Ra Yellow."

"She?! Who is she?" A sudden curiosity began to consume her. "Not that I care or anything!"

"I thought you had to get back to studying." Jaden smirked, closing the door on his way out.

* * *

Chazz had been here before, but things were much different this time around.

"He fell short of qualification last year, but here's this year's finalist: Raizou Mototani!" A boy with spiked up dark brown hair with brown eyes stepped on to the white podium with a cocky grin on his face.

He was surrounded by seats filled with roaring fans. They had all wanted Raizou to win the national championship, because they all wanted his opponent to lose.

"He's undefeated for the past two years. It's your defending champion: Chazz Princeton!" The PA boomed. Chazz slowly walked on to the familiar white podium, where his life had changed a year ago.

He was met with jeers, as the audience booed him as loud as they could. The noise was deafening; it was different from the cheerful reception he had received the year before. His opponent, Raizou, smirked at the crowd's reaction to Chazz's entrance.

"You don't deserve to be here Princeton!" A voice in the crowd shouted angrily.

"The championship is rigged if Princeton wins today." Another voice asserted.

"Hey Mototani, how much did his brothers pay you to lose?" They would not stop.

"How are your parents doing?" It was infuriating.

"Your brothers can rot in hell." The attacks continued.

Chazz recalled how a year ago the encouragement of the crowd had given him the strength to duel. They were aware of how his parents had died the night before the championship, and supported him with warmth and liveliness.

Now they were mocking him about his parents and his brothers. They were looking down on his family. It was making him tremble with rage.

Ever since his encounter with the blue-eyed girl at the finals of last year's championship, he hadn't enjoyed dueling as much as he used to. He was angry with himself for being so vulnerable in front of her. He was angry how she had broken him. This anger and hatred made him want to destroy and humiliate his opponents just like the girl had done to him.

His negative approach to dueling caused many of his opponents to give up on dueling completely or had traumatized them into depression. Many duelists and spectators were disgusted by Chazz, and would constantly criticize him.

However, their criticism didn't stop him from winning. He was just as skilled as he was ruthless, but many people didn't want to accept that such a terrible person could be a good duelist. They didn't want to respect Chazz's accomplishments, because they didn't to respect him as a human being.

Because of this, many would often downplay his accomplishments by claiming that his rich and corrupt brothers would rig tournaments and bribe his opponents into losing.

Chazz wouldn't be as infuriated if they had only mocked him as a duelist, but they had mocked him as a Princeton. They would lash at his brothers and his dead parents. They would disrespect the Princeton name.

Something dark began to stir within Chazz, as the crowd continued to jeer. Unbeknownst to Chazz, Light and Darkness Dragon watched his partner with sadness from behind the boy.

The duel disks on their arms extended, as the duel had started.

Chazz 4000

Raizou 4000

"I activate the spell Stumbling, so any monster that's summoned has to switch into defense mode." Raizou explained, "Now I'll summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior in defense mode!" (ATK 1500/DEF 1800)

A pink robot with a grey horseshoe magnet around its neck kneeled in front of Raizou.

"I'll end my turn." The noise of the crowd grew louder in reaction to Raizou's moves.

Chazz looked at his hand: Golem Dragon, Dark End Dragon, Dragon Rebirth, Blackland Fire Dragon, Luster Dragon, and Burst Breath.

"All these people are here for me Princeton. I worked hard to get to where I am today. I didn't have to get my brothers to pay my way into the finals." Raizou challenged.

"You don't think I had to work hard. My brothers expect me to win every duel, and every duel I have to deal with that pressure. I have to protect the Princeton name." Chazz defended, "I summon Golem Dragon I defense mode."

A dinosaur with sadistic red eyes made completely out of rock appeared in front of the defending champion. (ATK 200/DEF 2000)

"The only reason you mad the finals is because your brothers paid the tournament organizers to seed you with weak duelists." Raizou said ignorantly.

"I guess that makes you a weak duelist." Chazz snickered, "I'll place two face-downs and end my turn."

He set Burst Breath and Dragon Rebirth.

Raizou's face twisted at his opponent's comment. "You can think whatever you want, but don't go crying to your mommy when I beat you. You do have a mommy don't you?"

Chazz grimaced, his gaze piercing through Raizou's dim brown eyes. He was shaking; he would destroy everything that the boy stood for.

"I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in defense mode." A yellow robot with grey horseshoe magnets attached to its hand emerged. (ATK 1700/DEF 1600)

"You're playing an awfully defensive style." Chazz remarked bitterly.

"Is that a problem? I'll play a face-down and end my turn." Raizou then met Chazz's eyes, "Playing defensive is exactly how I'll beat you. Your brothers will be so disappointed that you weren't able to protect your name."

He felt the darkness stirring within him getting stronger. Raizou didn't understand what he had to deal with.

Chazz drew Premature Burial into his hand. "I'll place a face-down, and summon Luster Dragon in attack mode." A blue dragon with feral yellow eyes stretched its wings. (ATK 1900/DEF 1600)

"My Stumbling spell-card forces any normal summoned or special summoned monster into defense mode." Raizou smirked cockily. "You haven't been able to attack me for the past two turns. I thought you were supposed to be the defending champion. I guess you only won last year, because your opponent went easy on you. She probably felt bad that your parents died."

The memory of her unwavering blue eyes consumed him. Tears falling on to the ground, he had realized that his parents were gone, as she grinned sadistically, towering over him. He would never be in the comfort of their arms again. She had reminded him of that.

 _'I just wanted to remind you how weak and alone you really are.'_

He shook as he subconsciously recalled the traumatizing experience.

"I'll end my turn." Chazz finished slowly.

"Wow that's it? You really are pathetic." Raizou mocked, "I activate Shield Crush, so I'll destroy Luster Dragon, since it's in defense mode."

Chazz grit his teeth at this development; he had planned to use Burst Breath by sacrificing Luster Dragon. Burst Breath allowed Chazz to destroy any monster on the field that had less defense points than Luster Dragon's attack points, and that was pretty much all of Raizou's monsters. He had lost focus, and missed his chance.

"I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in defense mode!" Raizou continued, as a grey droid holding a sharp silver sword and a shield took the stage. (ATK 1400/DEF 1700)

Raizou then proceeded to slam the button his duel disk to reveal his face-down card. "I activate Zero Gravity, so the battle positions of every monster on the field changes!"

The audience erupted into cheers, as they realized that Chazz's reign was nearing its end.

The only monster on the Chazz's field was Golem Dragon with only 200 attack points. Although the dragon had 2000 defense points, it had been left vulnerable in attack mode because of Zero Gravity.

If all three Magnet Warriors' attacks went through Chazz would take enough damage to lose the duel.

"Do you see now? Do you see how you are nothing without your brothers?" Raizou gloated, "They give you every advantage to win, and yet you still can't beat me. You're a disgrace to your brothers and the dueling world. The Princeton name will be nothing but trash once I take your throne as national champion."

Something inside Chazz snapped, as the realization that he was going to lose consumed his mind. He was pulled into the depth of his subconscious, as he began to drown in a wave of voices.

"Princetons don't lose." Slade drilled into him.

"Losing shows the Geckos how vulnerable you really are." Jagger would repeat over and over again.

"You must protect the Princeton name at all costs." His brothers asserted ruthlessly.

"Our name is something that the Geckos can't take away from us." That's what they had told him.

"No one can take away our name, but people can change how they view it. If you lose, it will be viewed as trash. Is that what you want to happen to our name? To our parents' legacy?" He must protect his reputation; it was what his brothers wanted.

"You will win." Jagger demanded forcefully.

"You must win." Slade yelled.

He was expected to win. He was pressured to win. Losing was unacceptable. Yet, no matter how many victories he earned, he couldn't help but feel so empty inside. There was nothing left in him except hatred and desperation for his brothers' approval.

"I just wanted to remind you how weak and alone you really are." Those words _echoed_ within him once again. He was not weak; he was a Princeton.

Chazz bit his lips fiercely, tears trickling in the edges of his eyes. 'I, Chazz Princeton, am about to lose?'

'Never.' Chazz's dark eyes twisted, as he grinned sadistically, "I'll activate my trap Dragon Rebirth. I banish my Golem Dragon from my field to special summon Dark End Dragon from my hand."

A demonic black dragon with feral yellow eyes and teeth attached to its chest took the field. (ATK 2600/DEF 2100)

The audiences' roars turned into boos. Dark End Dragon was much stronger than all of the magnet warriors, meaning that attacking Chazz now would be foolish.

"Stumbling keeps your monster in defense mode. " Raizou commented, although Chazz could change his monster's battle position on the next turn. "I'll end my turn."

Chazz drew Stamping Destruction into his hand. He would not lose.

"I activate Stamping Destruction. When I control a dragon, I can destroy a spell or trap on the field and inflict 500 points of damage to its controller. I'll destroy Stumbling!"

Chazz 4000

Raizou 3500

Raizou couldn't believe it. The card he needed to contain Chazz was destroyed. He cursed in frustration.

"I don't intend to lose today, Raizou," Chazz asserted coldly, "I activate Burst Breath the trap card. I send Dark End Dragon to the graveyard and destroy every monster on your side of the field."

The noise of the crowd dimmed into slight murmurs before falling into silence.

Raizou stood in stunned silence, hopeless to react. He had done everything he could to try and win the duel, but it was not enough. As much as Raizou hated to admit, the difference in their skill level was too great.

He wanted justice; Raizou wanted to put Chazz in his place for terrorizing his opponents into losing confidence in themselves. That's what everyone else wanted as well. All the people in the crowd had hoped that Raizou could defeat the scornful boy. However, Raizou and everyone else in the arena were beginning to realize that they were being too ignorant. They had denied that Chazz was a talented duelist, and credited all his victories to his brothers, because they hated him. They had begun to realize that they could hate him all they wanted, but that wouldn't make him any less of a duelist. It terrified them how such a despicable person could be so talented.

"Raizou, I remember you told me that you had to work hard to get to the finals. Isn't that so?"

"That's right. I practiced dueling, and studied strategies for hours every day. I don't take this final for granted, unlike you." The boy shot back.

"You're right. You don't take this for granted, do you? While this is an expectation for me, this is an accomplishment for you. Do you see how I'm at a different level than you?" Chazz continued, "You work so hard and sacrifice your blood and tears to get this far; it would be a shame if it was all for nothing at the end."

"It has to worth something. I'll prove it to you!" Raizou screamed almost desperately.

"I activate Premature Burial, so I pay 800 life points to special summon my Dark End Dragon from my graveyard." Chazz smirked. Dark End Dragon (ATK 2600/DEF 2100)

Chazz 3200

Raizou 3500

"You don't deserve to call yourself a duelist Raizou. I duel to win. I duel to protect the Princeton name and reputation; that's what my brothers drilled into me and I refuse to let them down." Chazz hissed angrily, "You fight to prove to yourself that all your hard work was worth it, but in reality you're powerless to do anything to stop me. Your commitment and dedication will be worthless once I win this duel."

"Stop! You don't know how I pushed myself ever day to get better, even when my parents were worried about how tired I was getting I refused to stop training… You don't know how much time away from my family and friends I sacrificed to get here…I made my parents sacrifice their time to support me. They would give me rides to tournaments, and give me money for new packs…How can you say all of that's nothing but garbage?" Raizou cried.

"I'll prove it to you by destroying you." Chazz summoned Blackland Fire Dragon in attack mode. A green dragon stretched its neck, as it growled at Raizou with its bare teeth. (ATK 1500/DEF 1200)

"No…" Raizou whimpered at his imminent defeat. He had never felt so powerless. " _H-how can you be so cruel?_ "

Chazz's face twisted sadistically as he laughed condescendingly at his opponent, "Dark End Dragon will attack!"

Chazz 3200

Raizou 900

"Please stop…Please…" Raizou begged, tears forming in his eyes. He was so hopeless. No matter how hard he tried, he would never be as good as him. His efforts to duel were useless.

"Blackland Fire Dragon attack!" Chazz laughed maniacally.

Chazz 3200

Raizou 0

Raizou felt to his knees, his arm clutching on to his shoulder. His face contorted, as tears slowly dripped on to the podium.

"I hope you understand now." Chazz slowly approached the boy, "Never look down on the Princeton name."

It had all been for nothing.

* * *

Chazz looked at the pathetic boy on his knees, crying in hopelessness. The crowd around him was outraged at how cruel the champion could be. They screamed at him in disapproval and anger, as Chazz stood over Raizou.

The champion spat on his opponent's face, as he continued to harass the boy, "Do you not realize how important the Princeton name is to me? You almost hurt my name today, and for that you deserve to die."

"You won…You can stop now…."Raizou stated, how far was Chazz willing to take this?

"You tried to look down on me. You are a trash duelist and a disgrace. You are nothing." He glared, as a feral glint consumed his dark eyes, "Look at your future. What do you have left to live for? You can try to become a better duelist, but even if you improve you'll never be able to beat me. You can quit dueling, and your life will be empty, because you lost your one and only passion, but at least you won't feel so hopeless anymore."

Raizou was overwhelmed with self-doubt and anger, as he wasn't sure if he should continue to duel anymore. To have his efforts looked down on by such an overwhelming opponent had shattered his confidence to continue trying. Yet, he felt nothing but hatred towards the Princeton boy.

"If the Princeton name is so great, then how come two of those names were killed off by a single gunshot?" Raizou met Chazz's glare, before adding in a mocking tone, "They didn't even say goodbye."

Chazz gripped Raizou by the collar of his white shirt, before cocking his fist backwards, ready to punch his skull inside. He was stopped by the silhouette of a light and dark dragon watching him from above Raizou, looking at him with sadness drenched into the dragon's golden eyes.

"Why are you looking at me with those eyes?" Chazz shrieked, as splatters of his spit entered Raizou's eyes. He could hear a low whimper, as he saw the faint highlights of tears dripping on to the podium. 'Was he crying?'

He felt himself burn inside, as his heart felt like it was being torn apart at the sight of his partner suffering.

Chazz grit his teeth, punching Raizou's face with all he could muster. He screamed in anguish, as he slammed his other fist against the boy's jaws.

Men in green safety vests sprinted out of the tunnels, trying to break them up.

"Stop staring at me like that!" Chazz's fists were covered in bloodstains, as he screamed at his partner once again.

The dragon's eyes twisted in sadness, as Chazz was tackled by the security guards, being dragged away from Raizou. The guards had shouted something to him, but his focus was on his partner standing over Raizou, and folding its arms around his opponent, just like it had done for him when that girl had tormented him a year ago.

'What have I become?'

"Why are you comforting him? You're supposed to be my partner. Come back to me or else!" Chazz cried in exasperation, as he was dragged into the tunnels by the guards. The noise of the crowd intensified, jeering at the champion. "P-p-please…Please come back to me!"

The dragon's face contorted in pain, as the tears from its golden eyes continued to fall. He looked like he wanted to listen to Chazz. He wanted to return to his side, but at the same time he was terrified at what Chazz had become.

Chazz had made Raizou realize how hopeless he was, just like the girl had done to him the year before.

Since that day, he locked Light and Darkness Dragon in a sapphire box; he was afraid to show himself to his partner. He didn't want to see those sad golden eyes tearing into his conscience again, reminding him of the monster that he had become. He didn't want his partner to suffer by seeing how hateful and angry he was.

Even though many people believed that Chazz should be banned for his violence outburst, his brothers agreed to pay a fine instead. This only made things worse, as people viewed this as bribery. The criticism and jeers would only get worse.

It was sickening to have all these people mock everything that he stood for, but he couldn't lash out like he had against Raizou. He had promised his brother he wouldn't let his emotions get out of control again, no matter how much he was hurting; that was not the professional behavior expected of a Princeton.

* * *

"I should've taken the lessons more seriously!" Jaden complained. He was cramming for the written examination that he had later that day. Being the good, hard-working student Jaden was, he had decided to procrastinate until now.

He had been sitting at the small desk in his dorm room, complaining the whole time, while tilting his chair back and forth.

"Ugh, you're worse than Koyo," The young woman, sitting on the bottom bunk of Jaden's bed, exclaimed. She was in her usual red skirt, and wore a red jacket over her white tank top. She rolled her eyes, annoyed at the boy's work habits.

Jaden had asked her to tutor him. She was happy to help him study, but she didn't want to hear him complain like the immature child he was. He would always a child to her though. It seemed like only yesterday, when the boy struggled to hold, the duel disk she gave him, on his arm.

"Yeah…Koyo." Jaden's eyes would not leave the book on his desk.

'Shit.' Midori thought. The boy was always sensitive when it came to her younger brother. Her brother, Koyo, had been in a critical condition for years, and the boy had blamed himself. He had suffered depression for several months after her brother had fallen into a coma.

Midori was upset about Koyo as well, but she knew she couldn't cry over it. Jaden needed her to be strong.

Deciding to change the subject, Midori said, "How can you have time to study when there are girls all over you? Syrus told me you spend all your time hanging out with Alexis and Mindy."

Jaden's face suddenly felt hot, as Midori proceeded to mock Syrus, "Oh, Miss Hibiki, Jaden doesn't even have time for me anymore."

"W-what?" Jaden stammered, clearly flustered, "We're just friends."

He then made a mental note to strangle Syrus after his exams.

"Whatever you say," She shrugged deliberately. "I guess you're just not into girls. I always knew that Syrus and you would make a great gay couple."

"Well I always thought that you and Crowler would make a great gay couple was well!" Jaden retorted.

"Ew." Midori said, "I'm pretty sure he spends more time on his make-up than I do!"

Her mature and responsible side got the best of her, as she grabbed the pillow next to her and chucked it at Jaden.

Jaden held up his arms to defend himself. The moment the pillow dropped to the ground, Jaden tried to hurriedly get off his chair to pick up the pillow and use it to hit Midori. It seemed that swinging back and forth on his chair wasn't such a good idea. As soon as he got off the swinging chair, he lost balance. The chair crashed on to the ground, as Jaden fell face first on to the cushioned vinyl flooring.

Midori burst out laughing, as she grabbed the pillow, and began to beat Jaden with it, causing his hair to become disheveled.

He then grabbed the other end of the pillow in a desperate attempt to stop the abuse. They were both on their knees, tugging on the pillow.

Midori then stuck out her leg, kicking Jaden's left knee with her white ankle boots, causing Jaden to grab his knee, howling in pain. She continued assaulting him repeatedly with the pillow. After what seemed like an eternity to Jaden, she stopped, deciding that Jaden had enough fun for one day. Her laughter didn't stop.

Catching her breath Midori told Jaden the first thing that came to her mind. "You looked like an idiot!"

Jaden groaned, letting go of his knee, and glaring at Midori with the scariest face that he could muster.

This only caused her to laugh harder, ruffling Jaden's unkempt hair.

Jaden sighed, picking himself up. He put his chair up-right, sitting down. He then shoved his face into the open book on his table, pretending to be busy.

His trick didn't work, mostly because Midori wouldn't stop laughing at him.

"It doesn't help that you laugh like a donkey." Jaden muttered.

She then gave him an annoyed expression, sticking her tongue out at him. Midori was normally more mature and collected, but she could let her guard down around Jaden. She felt comfortable around the boy; she considered him her younger brother. With Koyo being in a critical condition, Jaden was the closest thing she had to family.

Midori had met Jaden in the Domino City hospital, while she was visiting her brother. She had noticed that her brother wasn't in the patient room, and found him talking to a short boy with unruly brown hair on a park bench outside the hospital.

The boy would visit Koyo's room every day to duel her brother, and she would often watch. However, it wasn't until her brother had fallen into a coma that she became close with Jaden. She had comforted Jaden who was torn up by news of Koyo's condition, and helped him overcome his depression.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to get into Ra Yellow." Jaden snorted.

 _"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to get into Ra Yellow,"_ Midori mimicked, before transitioning into a more serious tone, "You're really trying to get into Ra Yellow, huh?"

"Well, if I want to be a professional duelist, I have to get into Obelisk Blue sooner or later, and getting into Ra Yellow seems to be the first step. Once I get into Ra I'll probably have to work a lot harder though." Jaden expressed.

Midori frowned, "But I'm going to miss you!"

Jaden got off his chair and sat next to Midori on the bottom bunk, and gave her a warm smile.

"Okay, I guess if you really want to be a professional duelist, Obelisk Blue is the best place for you, since the scouts don't really look at Slifer Red students," Midori exclaimed, before adding cheekily, "But the students in Obelisk Blue are actually passing their classes."

Jaden chuckled, punching her arm lightly before walking back to his desk and closing the book. He then turned towards her, winking at the headmistress, "But not all students in Obelisk Blue are going to ace their practical exams."

She rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't stop the slight smile that formed on her face. He was just as cocky as Koyo.

"You should get going before Syrus and Chumley come back." Jaden told her. He didn't want to explain how he got in a pillow fight with their headmistress.

Syrus was in the school library cramming for the test like most of the other students, while Chumley was writing his promotion exams. The senior students had their tests earlier in the day than the first year students.

Midori nodded. Before asking him, "Are you going to use that card?"

"Of course, he's my partner." Jaden said, as Midori nodded.

"Good luck with your exams, duel king" Midori told him before wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

Jaden blushed. It wasn't his fault she smelled like sweet vanilla. He held the door for Midori, waving at her as she left.

He then reflected on his first three weeks at the academy.

He made good friends in Syrus, Chumley, Mindy, and Alexis. The food at the Slifer Red dorm always tasted so good, especially the white rice. He had had a great duel with Chazz a while back; it was a shame they couldn't finish it. Chumley and he had also managed to break a metal locker door in half. He had beat Chumley one-on-one in basketball more times than he could count. Mindy had taken Syrus as a 'hostage,' just to get Jaden to take off his shirt for her. It was weird for her to do that; but if she had not, he never would have dueled Alexis. He had an amazing duel with Alexis, and helped her open up to her friends about how upset she was at losing her brother. Jaden had also got his hands on the Duelist Kingdom DVD thanks to Alexis, and enjoyed every hour of it. It also made him happy how he got to spend time a lot more time with Midori.

It was an unbelievable experience, and he found it incredible how all of this happened only in a span of three weeks.

Leaving Slifer Red meant that he wouldn't be able to spend as much time with Chumley, Syrus, and Midori. He also wouldn't be able to hang out with Mindy and Alexis as much either, because he would be busier. He would have to study more to stay in Ra Yellow, or even advance to Obelisk Blue.

However, he still had his promise with Koyo. He would advance to Ra Yellow to fulfill that promise.

'I promised Koyo I would duel him in the pro league...'

* * *

Chazz opened the black laptop which sat on his wooden desk. He had made sure he was alone; Jesse, his roommate, like the rest of the Obelisks was at the library studying. It was better if he was alone.

As he started up the laptop, he thought of Alexis, and how she had tried to convince him he didn't have to be so angry all the time. She had stormed off on their first night at the academy, clearly frustrated with how he had acted. He couldn't control his actions; it was just a part of who he was. It was true that he used to enjoy dueling more than anything in the world, but it wasn't the same any more.

His child-like passion for dueling was replaced by hatred. When his opponent at his first national championship final turned out to be working with the company who killed his parents, Chazz was shocked. This shock eventually turned into suffering and hopelessness, as the girl had emotionally tormented him by reminding him that his parents were never coming back, and had even threatened his brothers.

He had told his brothers about the girl. They scoffed at this, saying how they had a plan to avenge their parents and destroy Gecko Industries, and that no little girl would stop them. They said that Chazz would play a part in it as well.

He had willingly agreed, wanting revenge; he was to be the next duel king. He knew he wasn't as talented as Yugi or Koyo, but he couldn't let his brothers down. He was expected to win every duel.

His brothers certainly pressured him to win. Sometimes he was afraid that they wouldn't accept him as a brother if he lost…

He wish he could tell Alexis all this, but it was between him and his family. He didn't want to get her involved in this mess. She could get hurt. Maybe it was for the best that they were no longer friends.

The laptop screen in front of him lit up to reveal the face of man in his twenties with neatly trimmed black tapered hair, and dim brown eyes.

"It's been a while, brother." The man spoke almost coldly.

"Jagger." Chazz answered. His brother would call him from time to time to check up on his progress as a duelist. Their conversations were not the most open or friendly, but he could spend time with his brother. Slade and Jagger had always been busy with the company since his parents died, so this was how they communicated.

"I trust that things are going well for you." Jagger told him.

"Yes." Chazz responded emotionlessly.

"How is your schoolwork looking?"

"It could be better unfortunately. I am ranked third out of the first years overall." Chazz felt his stomach tighten as he said this; Jagger would be disappointed.

Jagger took a deep breath, curling his hands into knuckles. He began slowly, "I hope it doesn't affect your career. You know that you have to be the next duel king, just being a professional duelist is not good enough. I'm not saying that you have to be the kind of duel king who wins the league every year, but you should be able to consistently compete for the title. You have to be good enough to be sponsored by Kaiba Corps; it's the only company bigger than Gecko Industries in Japan. If we can get a partnership with them through your dueling, we have a huge edge over Gecko."

"I know; we've been over this." Chazz mentally groaned. This was Chazz's role in the company's long term plan to get their revenge on Gecko Industries. Slade and Jagger would always remind him of this. He knew that his brothers wanted to emphasize how important it was for him to carry out his role, but the constant reminders were getting redundant.

Jagger nodded, proceeding to lecture his younger brother, "Chazz, you can win ten thousand duels, and then lose one. The Geckos will take that one loss as a weakness and judge you based on that one duel that you lost. You can't lose, because it means you're showing the Geckos that you're vulnerable."

Winning was supposed to be a part of who he was. It was supposed to come naturally to him. But, there was nothing natural about the pressure that he had to deal with every duel.

"When you duel, you're representing mom and dad; you're representing the Princeton name. If you lose you're letting us all down, and in a way you're letting the Geckos win. They want to see us fail... Continue to win, and we won't have any issues." Jagger voiced in a commanding tone.

The younger boy nodded. It was always like this with his brothers. They would drill values such as pride and victory into him. They never showed much emotion when they talked to Chazz, and only talked to him about how important it was to win, because it helped him maintain his reputation.

At times, it seemed like they only accepted him as a brother because he was a competent duelist.

"Jagger…I know this is a stupid question but…" Chazz remembered what Alexis had told him on their first night at the academy. 'I'm sure your brothers will accept you, even if you're the worst duelist in the world.'

"Would you still love me even if I wasn't a good duelist?"

Jagger seemed to consider this question, resting his hand on his chin. Chazz felt his heart aching at Jagger's reaction; he had hoped that his brother would reply right away, telling him that he would love him even if he wasn't even a decent duelist.

"You would be of no use to me. I have no need for the useless." The dim brown of Jagger's gaze tore into the younger boy. He felt weak. He fought back tears; Princetons didn't cry.

"J-j-jagger…" Chazz struggled to speak. "You can't mean that…"

"Listen, our parents left us four years ago. Maybe if they hadn't died, I would have been more caring and compassionate. I know our parents' death has affected all three of us…" Jagger started.

Chazz nodded sadly. Their parents' death had devastated all of them

"When Slade and I took over the company, we found out what our parents had to deal with. The chairman of Gecko Industries was ruthless and corrupt. He blackmailed and tortured mom into giving up something that was very important to her…" Chazz could see anger palpable in Jagger's face. His older brother was having trouble breathing, as he grit his teeth fiercely in a desperate attempt to keep control of himself.

"Jagger…Are you okay?" Chazz asked weakly.

Jagger's face twisted in anguish, his eyes looking manically at Chazz. He had never seen his brother like this. Normally, Jagger was so much more composed and emotionless.

"When I found out what they had taken from mom, I just wanted to take everything that the chairman held dear and destroy it in front of his face. Only by getting revenge do I think I can stay sane, because what the chairman did was so despicable. I can't live with myself unless that man is brought to justice. I need to get my revenge, Chazz. I don't have time to love you. I only accept you as a brother, because you are a part of my plan to get revenge." Jagger was shaking, his breathing was frantic and uncontrolled, "If you lose, it will mean you are weak and meaningless to me."

"I understand. I'll continue to win and protect our family's name." Chazz said blankly, ending the call.

The Obelisk left his chair, standing up on his two feet. He took a few steps, before crumbling to his knees. He rested his head on the blue carpet floor, as his hands seized his head. His heart felt heavy, as he gasped for air. He cried in pain, as tears began to burn his eyes.

He wished that his brothers would love him, even if he wasn't a good duelist. He wished that Jagger was happier, and was not tortured by his lust for revenge. He wished that his parents weren't dead.

The more he longed for these things; it became more painful to breath. He felt trapped within the pain, and worst of all, he had to deal with it alone.

He didn't want to be alone.

"P-p-princetons don't cry." He choked, desperately wiping his face with blue sleeve of his Obelisk Blue jacket.

When he had said that his brothers wouldn't accept him if he lost, Chazz thought that Slade and Jagger would be greatly disappointed in him. He never thought that they would stop loving him. They already had.

It was suffocating.

* * *

Alexis was beyond relieved that she had finished her exams. She had thought that it had gone pretty well. There were no questions on the written exam that she didn't know, and she beat her opponent in the practical exam without losing a life-point.

She was free from spending her time studying, and her heart felt lighter, as she walked down the hallway. The corridor was positioned between white metal walls, and twisted upwards. She was heading towards the tiled deck with glass railing that surrounded the top of the gymnasium. She could watch other students duel for their practical exams from up there, as the exam was held in the gymnasium.

Jaden had told her his duel was scheduled right after her exam; practical exams were scheduled differently for every student, because of the gym's limited space. Also, Crowler had told the first year students that they couldn't leave until all the students had finished their practical exams. Most of the students had been disappointed that they couldn't leave right after they finished, but she wanted to watch her friend duel.

At the corner of her hazel eyes, she could see a boy in a long Obelisk blue jacket with familiar spiky black hair, walking towards her

The two remained in their place in silence, not knowing what to say to each other. They weren't on the best of terms, and there was a silent tension hanging in the air. Alexis's gaze then tightened, glaring at the boy.

"Chazz." She breathed heavily.

"It's you." He stated simply. She studied his face, realizing how lifeless it looked. His face was pale, and his hair was a complete mess. There were red cracks that stretched across his pupils.

"Have you been crying?" Alexis asked worriedly, realizing how weary the boy was. The disgust and resentment she had held against the boy had broken down, as concern and pity for her childhood friend took its place. She couldn't stay mad at the boy forever.

"No..." He lied, stumbling a few steps forward, before she put a hand on his shoulder, as her hazel eyes met the lifeless darkness of his.

"Chazz, look at me." She pulled him closer to her, before softening her tone. "What's wrong?"

He averted his gaze from her, looking down at the ground. He felt so cold and empty. "Remember when you told me that my brothers would accept me even if I was the worst duelist in the world?"

"Yeah," She responded slowly, before nodding at Chazz to encourage him to continue.

"I was just in a call with Jagger…He t-told me that…" His face contorted, as he was unable to speak.

"W-what did he say Chazz?" Alexis asked delicately.

"If I wasn't a good duelist, he wouldn't l-love me. I would be meaningless to him." He wiped his face of the tears that he had tried to hold back, "I never felt so alone…"

"That's terrible…" She answered sadly, before wrapping her arms around him. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like if Atticus told her that he never loved her. As arrogant and disgusting Chazz could be at times, she couldn't help but feel for his suffering. Maybe he was so hateful, because no one was ever there to support him. "You're not alone. I'm here for you. I promise I won't leave you."

"I-I don't need your help." He thought of how Gecko Industries had ruined his brothers' lives, and how the girl at the championship had ruined his life. He thought of how he wanted revenge for what they had done to him and his family. Even if his brothers didn't love him, his desire for revenge still lingered. Chazz was always angry that the people who ruined him would never face justice; he would take out his pent up frustration by humiliating other duelists, because he was too emotionally insecure to deal with it himself.

"Stop isolating yourself from me. I can help you go through this." Her grip around him tightened.

Chazz wondered yet again if he should tell Alexis about what was going on with his family and the Geckos. His life was a complete mess, because of this. What would she think of him? How would she react?

Knowing her, she would probably try to get involved, and she would probably suffer like he had once she realized how cruel the world could be. He couldn't have that. She didn't deserve it; she was so kind-hearted that getting involved in his dark affairs would only destroy her.

He gently pushed her away from him. "I know you want to be there for me and help me, and I'm grateful for that. I really am. But you don't understand. I'm so messed up and hateful…I can't be helped."

"You're not messed up. You never were." Alexis asserted softly.

"T-thank you." That was all he could say to her.

* * *

"I have to duel him? Are you kidding me?" Jaden asked in disbelief.

"Well Mr. Yuki, I figured that since you're such a great duelist you would want a challenge. You can always choose to leave, and I can give you a zero on the practical exam." Crowler explained to the boy.

Jaden had arrived at the gymnasium, and he was only late by ten minutes, which was a personal record for him. He wasn't always on time for a lot of things. For his written exam, he had arrived over an hour late, and had only twenty minutes to finish the test.

'So much for Ra Yellow.' He told himself, 'I guess I'll just study harder next month.'

At least Crowler didn't penalize him on his practical exam for arriving late. It was odd, considering how Jaden was sure Crowler didn't like him very much and wanted him on the next boat out of here. The professor was uncharacteristically cheerful, when he had lead Jaden to the section of the gym where he was to duel.

Crowler then had revealed Jaden's opponent, who the professor was sure would defeat Jaden.

"The duel will be assessed by Chancellor Sheppard. Do try your best Jaden, and try not to lose too badly." Crowler announced, as he pointed to a glass press box attached to one of the gymnasium's wall, where a bald man in a mahogany cloak waved at the two duelists.

Crowler then made his way to the box to watch the duel with Sheppard.

He had told all of the first year students that they were to wait by the deck with the glass railings above the gymnasium, until everyone had finished their exams. The students could see the duels in the gymnasium from up there, and would most likely watch Jaden's duel.

Jaden's exam was also one of the last duels for the day, so most of the students would already be done their practical exams by that time. They would watch the duel. Jaden would lose and the slacker would get exposed for the fraud he was. It was a wonderful day.

"I always like a challenge!" Jaden smirked, causing Crowler to cringe as he walked away from Jaden and his opponent.

"Let's just get this over with." A despondent Chazz spoke, as his duel disk extended on his arm. He would not lose. He had nothing to lose, but his name. It was the Princeton name that he protected by winning: his family's reputation. But never before did his name feel so hollow.

Chazz 4000

Jaden 4000

"Well what are we waiting for? I'll draw!" Jaden noticed how weary and lifeless Chazz looked like. Alexis had said that since Chazz's parents died, he had become so bitter and hateful, while his brothers would constantly pressure him to win. Maybe this was all taking a toll on the Obelisk. He then turned his attention to his hand consisting of Elemental Hero Bubbleman, Defense Draw, Negate Attack, Miracle Fusion, Emergency Provisions, and Spell Calling.

"I summon Bubbleman in defense mode!" The light blue batman with two cylindrical tanks of water on its back was on its knees. (ATK 800/DEF 1200) "Now get this. If I normal summon him and he's the only card on the field, I can draw 2 cards!" Jaden drew Clayman and Soul Union.

He then set Spell calling face-down. "I'll throw down a face-down, and leave it to you Chazz."

Chazz added the top card of his deck to his hand, as he examined his hand: Spear Dragon, Armed Dragon LV 7, Level Modulation, Level Up, Call of the Haunted, and Damage Condenser.

"I summon Spear Dragon!" Chazz said as a blue pterodactyl with a sharp beak appeared on the field. (ATK 1900/DEF 0)

"Attack Bubbleman."

Chazz 4000

Jaden 3300

"Hey what gives?" Jaden asked surprised that he had taken battle damage, despite leaving his Bubbleman in defense mode.

"When Spear Dragon battles a monster it deals piercing damage to my opponent. It turns into defense mode after its attack, unfortunately. I'll set two cards and end my turn."

"That's a sweet card," Jaden cheered, causing Chazz to growl at the Slifer. How could he be so happy all the time?

He longed for the past before his brothers and he were torn apart by his parents' death. Seeing Jaden reminded him of how he was before his parents died. He had also been very optimistic and passionate about dueling. It was like seeing a shadow of his past self in the Slifer. He was burning up with jealousy and longing, as he realized how happy Jaden was.

Jaden then drew Burst Impact, noticing how Chazz's emotionless and dejected expression changed into one of anguish and rage. Chazz was hurting.

"I summon Clayman in attack mode!" A giant figure made of clay emerged on to the field. (ATK 800/DEF 2000)

"Attack!" Jaden lifted his finger at Spear Dragon; the dragon disintegrated, causing Chazz's face to twist even more.

Alexis looked at Chazz with concern, as her hands gripped on to the top of the railing. She wasn't sure if Chazz should duel in the state that he was in, but he had insisted that he had dueled in worse conditions before, like the time he dueled the day after his parents had died.

A boy with teal hair jutted backwards next to her watched the duel intently, "Is it just me or does Chazz seem out of it?"

"I don't know Jesse, but with Chazz you can never be too careful." Another boy with unruly, light blue hair in a Slifer red jacket said nervously.

Alexis's hands were turning pale, as she tightened her grip around the edge of the glass railing.

"I'll throw two-face down cards and end my turn! How's that Chazz?" Jaden winked at the Obelisk, as he set Negate Attack and Soul Union

"Pathetic." He spat, causing Jaden to frown, "I summon Element Dragon in attack mode!"

An orange lizard with wide green wings took flight. (ATK 1500/DEF 1200)

"That's a pretty interesting card, Chazz!" Jaden remarked.

Every time the Slifer complimented him. Every time the Slifer smiled or laughed, Chazz couldn't stand it. Jaden was just like how he used to be. He was just a bad memory of what he had lost. He would destroy Jaden.

"I activate Call of the Haunted to bring back Spear Dragon on to the field in attack mode!" Chazz declared.

"Him again?" Jaden wondered out loud.

"I use Element Dragon's effect. If there's a wind monster on the field it can attack twice! Spear Dragon is a wind monster, Jaden. This duel is over!" He almost screamed, "Element Dragon attack Clayman!"

"If Chazz lands all those attacks he'll win the duel!" Jesse exclaimed. Element Dragon could attack twice, and Spear Dragon could attack as well. Chazz was a monster when he dueled; he was relentless and his opponents couldn't do anything to stop him except cower in fear.

"H-how is he so good?" Syrus added. It was so early in the duel and Chazz was going to assault Jaden so brutally. He worried for his friend. Losing to Chazz this early on the duel wouldn't really help Jaden's confidence.

"It's not like Chazz to declare that a duel is over, especially when his opponent has three face-down cards…"Alexis observed.

"You were too careless, Chazz." Jaden revealed one of his three face-down cards, "Negate Attack ends your battle phase!"

"Damn it…" Chazz cursed, as he began to shake, unable to keep his emotions in check.

Alexis frowned; she desperately hoped that Chazz could find peace within himself, instead of bottling up his frustrations and using them as motivation to crush every single opponent that stood in his way.

Jaden smirked, as he started laughing, "You almost had me there!"

Chazz groaned internally, as he imagined a smaller version of himself in Jaden's place smiling at him mockingly, while a white and black dragon stood in front of the boy looking at him with those sorrowful golden eyes.

"This is just another bad memory," Chazz muttered to himself disdainfully.

"I activate E-Emergency Call." Jaden activated the spell card he had just drawn into his hand. A shiny, green 'E' projected itself on the field, "I can add an Elemental Hero from my deck to my hand, and I choose Burstinatrix!"

Jaden then took a quick glance at the Burst Impact card in his hand. It was a powerful spell, but it was situational. However, the spell was perfect for his current situation.

"I summon Burstinatrix!" A lady in red spandex and long blazing black hair found her place next to Clayman. (ATK 1200/DEF 800)

"Element Dragon's effect activates, since there's now a fire monster on the field it's attack power goes up by 500." (ATK 2000/DEF 1200)

"Awesome! You really get the best out of your cards!"

Chazz bit his teeth, trying his best to contain his rage. Jaden was getting under his nerves. He didn't have time to receive compliments from other duelists and enjoy dueling any more; he had to deliver results for his brothers.

"I use Burst Impact! Now every monster on the field other than Burstinatrix is destroyed and the owner takes 300 damage for each monster!" Jaden cried.

Chazz 3400

Jaden 3000

"Yes!" Syrus pumped his fists at how Jaden had managed turn things around.

"Wow, what a move." Jesse remarked, "Now Chazz's field is wide open."

Alexis stared blankly at the duel. What would happen if Jaden did manage to beat Chazz? Things would change for Chazz, but would it be for better or for worse?

"Burstinatrix will attack you directly!" The students watching cheered Jaden's name in delight; they were impressed with how he was holding his own against the three time national champion.

"Don't celebrate too soon. Reverse card open!" Chazz replied, "Damage Condenser lets me special summon a monster with attack points equal to or less than the damage I'm about to take by discarding Armed Dragon LV 7 from my hand. I choose Armed Dragon LV3." (ATK 1200/DEF 900)

The two monsters ended up destroying each other.

"Even when I think that I had figured your strategy out, you manage to stop me. You truly are a great duelist." Jaden's hand consisted of Defense Draw, Emergency Provisions, and Miracle Fusion.

"I'll place two face-downs and end my turn." Jaden finished, Miracle Fusion was the only card left in his hand; he smiled brightly at the Obelisk, "I'm having way too much fun right now."

'Fun…' The word echoed within him, as Chazz glared at Jaden, disgusted by the Slifer. "I hate you Jaden…I hate everything that you stand for…Fun? How could you have fun in dueling, when every single move you make could hurt how people view you?'

"Why should you care what other people think of you, Chazz?" Jaden asked, "You don't have to prove anything to anybody."

"You don't understand…" He had to always prove himself to Slade and Jagger; they would accept him if he won, and he would be meaningless to them if he lost. He didn't want them to give up on him and leave him to be alone. "So stop pretending like you do."

Chazz drew Stamping Destruction into his hand. He would crush Jaden. "I activate Level Modulation the spell card! My opponent, you, draws 2 cards and I special summon a level monster from the graveyard disregarding summoning conditions, even though this monster can't attack."

"Sweet! Drawing new cards is like a treat to me!" Jaden grinned. He drew Avian and Sparkman into his hand.

"I summon Armed Dragon LV 7, and then I use Level Up! I sacrifice my Armed Dragon LV7 to special summon Armed Dragon LV 10!" A giant dragon with an upper body made of metal and jagged spikes towered over Jaden. (ATK 3000/DEF 2000)

"Jaden only has 3000 life points left, and his field is wide open, meaning one attack from Chazz's dragon and Jaden will lose!" Crowler exclaimed from the box, "Yes! Yes!"

"Don't get too excited now Crowler, Jaden has four face-down cards." Sheppard said.

Jaden smirked. When Chazz attacked him directly, he would activate his face-down card Defense Draw, and protect himself from taking any battle damage.

"I activate Stamping Destruction. I can destroy a spell or trap card on the field if I control a dragon monster, and as a result you would take 500 points of damage!" Chazz then pointed towards Defense Draw.

Jaden chuckled in disbelief, sending his face-down card to the graveyard. Chazz sure was something.

Chazz 3400

Jaden 2500

"End this duel!" Chazz hollered, "Show him how powerless he is."

An intense ray of purple light spiraled towards Jaden. The impact forced the holographic smoke to cloud the area.

"He lost…" Syrus stated in shock.

Eventually the smoke cleared, Jaden's cocky smirk remained etched on to his face, as a turquoise card with cans and crackers on it faced Chazz.

Chazz 3400

Jaden 500

"How?!" Chazz yelled. Everything he threw at Jaden, the Slifer managed to counter.

"I activate Emergency Provisions, so I send my face-down Soul Union to the graveyard to gain 1000 life points."

"No! Chazz had him beat!" Crowler shrieked, "Does that slacker ever lose?"

"It's a good thing you're not assessing this duel Crowler. I think you might be a little bit too biased against Jaden." Sheppared chuckled heartily, "I have to say I'm impressed with the boy. I think even if he loses this duel we should promote him into Ra Yellow."

Crowler bit his fingernails in dismay; there was no way that Jaden could turn the duel around on his next turn, right? He had just managed to stall his inevitable defeat.

"I'm sorry things haven't worked out for you Chazz. Alexis told me that you've been through a lot…She says you used to be a lot different; you used to respect your opponents and smiled when you duel." Jaden told the Obelisk.

'T-that was before. I started dueling for fun, after watching Koyo on TV. I loved dueling; it made me feel special, but then I lost the people that meant so much to me, because the Geckos came into my life. The Geckos took away my parents, and caused my brothers to be so heartless. I wanted them to pay…I thought that by listening to my brothers and winning I was getting closer and closer to revenge, but right now every win makes me feel emptier,' Chazz thought to himself, before looking at Jaden. The Slifer didn't understand him. No one understood him. It was a feeling of entrapment.

"I know things are different now, but I can't let you suffer in your own hatred. That's why I will defeat you." Jaden told him, as he drew Polymerization to his hand. "I summon Elemental Hero Avian in attack mode!"

A hero in green fur and sharp long wings landed in front of Jaden. (ATK 1000/DEF 1000)

"I activate Miracle Fusion. I banish Avian from my field, and Bubbleman, Clayman, and Burstrinatrix from my graveyard. Now I can summon Elemental Hero Electrum!"

A hero engulfed in golden light showed up on the field. (ATk 2900/DEF 2600)

"It still doesn't have enough attack points to destroy Chazz's dragon…" Syrus groaned.

"Maybe it has a hidden ability," Jesse raised his eyebrows.

As if on cue, Jaden spoke, "I can shuffle all banished monsters into my deck first of all, so I'll return the four heroes I banished earlier to my deck. Electrum also gains 300 attack points if a monster my opponent controls shares the same attribute as him."

"Armed Dragon's a wind type, while Electrum's a light." Chazz stated, hoping that there wasn't more to the monster's effect.

"Electrum is considered an Earth, Wind, Fire and Water attribute monster when its face-up on the field!" Electrum (ATK 3200/DEF 2600)

"Shit." Chazz cursed. How did this Slifer turn the duel around so quickly?

"Electrum attack Armed Dragon LV10!"

Chazz 3200

Jaden 500

Chazz was silent, as he looked at his empty hand. His eyes then turned towards the golden warrior shining radiantly in front of him. Jaden had outdone him, despite their difference in life points.

'I-I-I can't lose…' Chazz felt like he was suffocating. What would become of him if he lost? He gave up his partner; maybe if his dragon was in his deck the duel would have been different. Now it looked he was going to lose the duel, and then his brothers would never even consider loving him again; he was left with nothing. 'I-I sacrificed so much…'

Suddenly, something inside him snapped.

"I, Chazz Princeton, am about to lose?" His voice grew darker, unwilling to accept defeat and watch everything he had left shatter before his eyes. "Never."

He drew. "I activate Card of Demise, I draw until I have 5 cards in my hand.'

Chazz slowly drew card after card. He looked at his hand which consisted of Dragonic Knight, Ojama Green, Enchanted Fitting Room, Ojama Delta Hurricane, and Quick Summon. He would not lose today; he refused to lose.

"I activate Enchanting Fitting Room. I pay 800 life points to see the top four cards of my deck, and special summon all level 3 or lower monsters on to the field." Chazz drew his first card, showing it to Jaden, Ojama Yellow.

Chazz 2400

Jaden 500

He drew his second card: Armed Dragon LV 5.

His third was Ojama Black.

He then drew Masked Dragon.

"I'll special summon Ojama Black and Ojama Yellow." Chazz continued, "I'll summon Ojama Green in defense mode."

"Hooray!" Yellow sang, "He summoned us!"

"About time!" Green spat.

"It's show time!" Black started to dance.

Chazz ignored them, glaring at Jaden.

"You don't know what I've been through Jaden. You don't know who I am. That's why you were bold enough to think that you could defeat me. I'm Chazz Princeton: the reigning three time national champion and the next duel king." Chazz's hand shook, as he struggled to hold the cards in his hands.

"Chazz, I know that you have all these titles and a prestigious reputation as a duelist, but does it really make you happy? If you pour everything you have to win, won't you be left with nothing but a meaningless result?" Jaden questioned, his gaze unwavering.

"Don't talk Jaden…Don't talk when you haven't given up as much as I have. I gave up everything just to win, hoping that I can get my revenge. I have to keep winning, because every win brings me closer to vengeance. If I can destroy them, I'll find peace…" The Obelisk began to break down, crying in front of the Slifer.

'Get revenge? On who?' Jaden wondered to himself. "Chazz, destroying other people's happiness will just make you more miserable."

"I SAID DON"T TALK!" Chazz smashed a spell card into his duel disk: Ojama Delta Hurricane! The spell card activated, destroying every card on Jaden's field. Electrum and Jaden's face-down vanished.

"Chazz…" Alexis clenched her fists; this duel had to stop. Chazz wasn't in the mental state to duel. She hated to see him suffer like this.

"You sent Spelling Calling to the graveyard. When this card's sent to the grave by the effect of my opponent's spell or trap card, I can pick two spell cards from my deck and set them face-down." Jaden looked at Chazz with deep concern; if he beat the Obelisk, Chazz would probably lose his mind, but maybe that was better than losing to him. If Chazz won, he would remain the hateful and angry boy that he was.

'I thought my victory was guaranteed…' Chazz thought to himself, 'Even so they're spell cards and can't be as problematic as trap cards.'

"I activate Quick Summon, so I can normal summon again! I sacrifice Ojama Black and Green to summon Dragonic Knight!" A large dark green dragon in silver armor, holding a giant sword took the Ojamas' place. (ATK 2800/DEF 2300)

Jaden's brown eyes met Chazz's twisted ebony eyes, as the Slifer faced off against the wrath of the Obelisk. Red against blue. Warmth against coldness.

"Destroy him."

The knight took to the air, as it prepared to drop its sword through Jaden. A sadistic grin formed on Chazz's face, while one of horror had formed on Jaden.

"I'm sorry Chazz. I wouldn't do this If I had any other choice, but I can't let you be driven by your own hatred and anger." Jaden opened his palms toward a spell card that he activated. "I activate the Flute of Summoning Kuriboh to special summon Winged Kuriboh from my deck."

Jaden knew if Chazz won nothing would change.

A brown winged furball with golden pupils looked at Chazz, causing the Obelisk's expression to change in shock. (ATK 300/DEF 200)

"How do you have that card? That's Koyo's card…"Chazz was then hit with a sudden sense of déjà vu. Jaden's untidy brown hair was very similar to that of the boy who had ran after the ambulance all those years ago, when Koyo had fallen unconscious at his own tournament.

 _No! It's all my fault…I should have never convinced him to do this… Please be okay, Koyo…_

"That was you…" Chazz realized.

"Reverse card open! Transcendent Wings lets me special summon Winged Kuriboh LV10 from my deck, by sending Winged Kuriboh from my field to the grave, along with Sparkman and Polymerization from my hand." A golden-dragon shaped armor formed on Winged Kuribho's head, as its wings extended into the beyond. (ATK 300/DEF 200)

Chazz stood in shock, unable to react. He had failed his brothers, and they would never love him, especially since he had lost to a Slifer Red.

He recalled Koyo's duel with the D; he knew what happened next.

"I sacrifice my Winged Kuriboh LV 10 to destroy all face-up monsters in attack mode that you control and inflict damage equal to their attack points!"

Chazz 0

Jaden 500

"Jaden's really strong…" Syrus watched in awe, unable to believe how the national champion was defeated right in front of his eyes.

"He lost…" Alexis stated, not sure how things would be for Chazz now that he had lost a duel. She just hoped that it would change him for the better.

Jaden extended two fingers towards Chazz, as the spectators burst into applaud. A Slifer had managed to defeat the national champion, who had lost for the first time in three years.

Chazz hung his head in shame and humiliation. He felt so lost and empty. He was left with nothing.

"Gotcha…But it was a fun duel."

* * *

Midori Hibiki slurped the rest of her miso soup, finishing off an eventful day with a relaxing dinner. She sat alone in the Red dorm's dining hall, looking at the empty tables around her. Normally at this time, Jaden would stay behind with Syrus devouring through his fifth bowl of rice, while the others had left after their first serving.

She was going to miss that boy. She was impressed how Jaden had defeated the alleged number one first year duelist in the school, who hadn't lost in three years. She would congratulate Jaden the next chance she got. For now, she would let Jaden celebrate and enjoy his promotion to Ra Yellow. Even though he failed his written exam, Jaden aced his practical exam, as he was talented enough to beat the three time national champion. It wasn't an easy thing to do and Jaden deserved his promotion.

Suddenly, something grabbed her hips. She screamed in surprise, turning towards a familiar brown haired boy with the same goofy smile.

"You're still ticklish as always." Jaden remarked. She noticed that Jaden was still in his Slifer Red uniform. She gave him a death stare, not pleased with how Jaden had snuck up on her like that.

"Oh come on. We're even now right?" Jaden tried to explain, "You beat me with a pillow earlier, and I got you back with this."

"Listen up Jaden Yuki." Midori said angrily, "We'll never ever be even. I'm going to get you back for that."

"Keep telling yourself that."

She punched his arm playfully. "So you came to see me?"

"I came back for you, yes." Jaden said with a cheeky grin.

"Why's that?"

"Because I missed you!" Jaden joked.

Midori shook her head, rolling her caramel eyes.

"In all honesty," Jaden said, with a more serious look, "I want to stay in Slifer Red. I have some great friends in Syrus, Chumley, and you. That's something that I'm very fortunate to have. Chazz lost his parents when he was younger, and his brothers treat him like some disposable trophy. He was so alone, and he became so hateful…That's why I want to surround myself with supportive and caring people like you guys. You guys are more important to me than any rank or title."

"Awe!" Midori beamed at Jaden, impressed at how mature Jaden had become. Her heart melted because of what he had said, as she gave him a warm smile, "My little Jaden is all grown up."

She started forcefully ruffling his hair, purposely making it untidier than it already was.

"But I'm beginning to regret staying!" Jaden said quickly, as Midori squeezed the Slifer into a bone crushing hug.

* * *

Chazz looked back at the island once more. The tall pillars, supporting the building, towered over him. He sat on a white rowboat holding a sapphire box in his hands.

He then placed the box gently next to him, as he began to row the paddles slowly but steadily. He had lost today.

Losing had made him feel vulnerable. He feared how his brothers would react if they found out. His reflection in the ocean looked back at him sadly, before dissolving into ripples.

He had lost everything because he was controlled by his desire for revenge. He had hurt so many people. His brothers were only a small part of it. It was him who had bullied Raizou, Jaden, and so many duelists before them; he had tried to make them feel powerless.

Even so, he didn't feel even a pang of guilt. He was numb to it. That's why he was leaving the academy; he felt like he needed to find himself.

He hadn't told anyone, because they would try to stop him. It was just him and his cards, and the bag of supplies in front of him. Wherever he ended up, it didn't matter to him. He was numb to it all.

But for the first time in a while, he felt free.

* * *

 **There you have it! Please feel free to leave a review if you have any questions or concerns about the story. The next chapter should be up Monday, although it's a lot shorter than this one. I also used Spell Calling, Bubbleman, and Card of Demise's anime effect. I used Level Modulation's TCG effect, and Dark End Dragon is from the manga. Starting next chapter I think I'll answer any questions that you may have in the reviews at the end of the chapter.**


	4. The Prodigy

**I was originally going to post this chapter last Monday, but this week has just been crazy for me, and I didn't get the time to work on this chapter. I then said I would post it before Saturday on my profile, but I was too tired yesterday and needed to rest. That being said, I hope that I can finish my next chapter sooner than I finished this one.**

 **This chapter introduces Bastion. I've changed his personality and character from the manga and anime. I don't know what you guys will think of him, but he will play a big role in the conflict with the Shadow Riders. He won't appear again until the seventh chapter, but he will have major involvement in every chapter after.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and please review to tell me what you think.**

* * *

Bastion Misawa watched the computer screen closely, jotting something down on the small, blue notebook in front of him. He then pressed a button on the keyboard, pausing the video he was watching. His eyes then turned to the Duel Monster cards in front of him, organized into different piles. He rearranged the piles, before playing the video again.

" _Alright, Flame Wingman attack that Ancient Gear Golem!"_ _A winged creature with a red dragon's head for one of its arm became engulfed in flames. Flame Wingman charged towards a giant made of gears and metal with a single red eye shining through the rust that covered it._

 _Skyscrapers surrounded the two monsters, extending towards the dark skies._

 _A man in a blonde ponytail and a blue blazer let out a high-pitched shriek in panic, as the hero collided with the golem in front of him, causing it to break down into scraps of metal. Meanwhile, the boy in front of the winged creature smirked._

 _The boy wore an unbuttoned black jacket and a red shirt underneath, extending two fingers towards the blonde man._

" _Gotcha…But it was a fun duel."_

The video ended there.

The boy went by the name of Jaden Yuki. He was a Slifer Red student, meaning that Jaden had the lowest possible rank in the school. Nevertheless, Bastion could not deny his talent.

Jaden had managed to beat the man in the video, Vellian Crowler. Crowler was a renowned professor who was well known for his exceptional dueling skills. Even so, Jaden had won. That wasn't the only thing that had impressed Bastion.

Jaden had also defeated Chazz Princeton, a three time junior national champion, who had not lost in the past three years. Chazz had defeated countless opponents over the years, and Bastion was one of the unfortunate victims.

Bastion had started dueling in his third year of middle school. He had never taken an interest in dueling, and preferred to spend his time on other hobbies such as physics and computer programming. He had never really understood how professional duelists got paid millions of dollars just to play a card game. It wasn't until Dr. Zweinstein, a ten time Nobel award-winning physicist who Bastion highly respected, had won his tenth Nobel Prize for his discovery of the Quantum Duel Theory that Bastion began to take an interest in the card game.

He researched the world's most popular card game, and was intrigued by what he had found. It wasn't the scientific aspects of dueling, which Zweinstein had discovered, that intrigued Bastion. It was how unpredictable a duel could be. There was an element of surprise in dueling, unlike physics and computer programming. Anything could happen, and he enjoyed doing everything he could to prepare for every possibility that a duel holds. The stronger his opponent the more challenging it was to prepare to beat them.

He enjoyed a challenge.

Despite his lack of experience, Bastion had used his strategical prowess surpassed those of even the most seasoned duelists. He always carried six decks of cards with him, but he would only use one. The other five was like an inventory of cards. He would add cards from the inventory and take away cards from the deck, depending on his opponent's strategies which he would study beforehand. He had developed different decks to counter opponents with different dueling styles, and started to compete in tournaments.

He had reached the finals of the Japan's junior national championship with less than a year's experience in dueling. Many had labelled Bastion a prodigy, but there was nothing prodigious about his tactics. He would analyze his opponent's style and strategies beforehand, and create a deck to counter them.

The prodigy had studied his opponent for the finals, Chazz Princeton, thoroughly. Bastion had analyzed all of Chazz's duels, and had created a deck to counter Chazz's strategies which usually revolved around his ace monster Light and Darkness Dragon.

To Bastion's dismay, Chazz did not use Light and Darkness Dragon for his third national championship. He used a different deck than he had in other tournaments, which consisted of Ojama cards and the Armed Dragon archetype.

Bastion noticed that this new deck was not as strong as his old one. He predicted that Chazz would end up using Light and Darkness Dragon in the finals. Bastion figured that any rational person would use their best possible deck to maximize their chances of winning, especially in the biggest duel of the tournament. Thus, the prodigy decided to use the deck he had created to counter Light and Darkness Dragon. He had predicted wrong.

His prediction was flawed, and he ended up losing the duel. Bastion's deck's sole purpose was to counter Chazz's old deck, and would not fare well against any other decks. Perhaps if Chazz had used his old deck, Bastion would have won.

Perhaps if Chazz had used his old deck, he would have beaten Jaden. Chazz's old deck was stronger, and Jaden didn't have a deck designed to neutralize it. Not that it mattered now. He had lost to Chazz, and Jaden had beaten him.

Regardless, Bastion recognized Jaden's talent and ability. He took it as a challenge. He was watching clips of Jaden's duels in the academy's video room, and creating a deck to neutralize Jaden's hero deck.

Bastion reviewed the notes he had taken on Jaden's strategies in his small, blue notebook. He smiled to himself, before placed the notebook down on the table in front of him. He played the video again, watching intently.

He always liked a challenge.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm spending my Friday with this." Syrus groaned to himself. He was currently in the academy's video room; he was supposed to pick up disks that contained footage of yesterday's practical exams for Miss Hibiki. By reviewing the disks, Miss Hibiki could evaluate the dueling skills of her Slifer Red students, and tell them what to improve on.

Syrus had initially asked Miss Hibiki why she didn't trust Jaden with this task. She then reminded him of how much of a lazy bum Jaden could be. He didn't argue; it was true. Jaden was a talented duelist, but he wasn't the most hardworking student.

He looked in front of him to see rows of computers. The computers were on the top of white tables, and a line of black armchairs stood in front of these tables. The room was empty, as expected. There was no reason why anyone would hang out in the video room, especially on a Friday. They would have to be a complete social recluse to waste a perfectly fine Friday afternoon in here.

There was a giant screen attached to the wall on his right, looming over a wooden desk. On top of the desk was a cardboard box, which was labelled 'Slifer Practical Exams.'

'That was easy.' Syrus thought. The disks weren't difficult to find at all. They were probably in the box. He walked towards the desk, holding the box in his hands.

The Slifer then heard a sudden noise reverberate through the room. He yelped in shock; he barely held on to the box in his hands, before processing the noise and noticing that it sounded familiar. It was Jaden's voice?

" _Gotcha…But it was a fun duel."_

Syrus walked slowly to where the noise had come from. It seemed to be coming from one of the computers in the far corner of the room.

As he got closer, he noticed a boy in a Ra Yellow jacket with neatly flushed back black hair. The boy didn't seem to mind the yelp that Syrus had let out earlier, and he seemed to be jotting something down a small, blue notebook.

"Uh, e-excuse me." Syrus stammered weakly. He made a mental note to practice public speaking on his free time; he wasn't very good at talking to anyone who he wasn't familiar with.

The boy put the notebook down, before slowly turning his head towards the Slifer. The Ra Yellow looked at Syrus with quizzical black eyes.

"So you were the one who screamed." The boy said simply, closing the notebook.

"Y-yeah…What are you doing here anyways?" Syrus asked.

"I was watching video footage of a duelist who I plan to beat with the deck I just made." He explained pointing at the pile of cards in front of him.

"A duelist? You mean Jaden?" Syrus questioned, as he remembered hearing Jaden's voice earlier. The boy must have been watching video footage of Jaden's duels.

"Yes." He nodded awkwardly, before unbuttoning his yellow jacket.

"Why would you want to duel Jaden?" Syrus noticed that there were three red pockets on the right side of his jacket's interior and three others on the left side. They were all shaped like a deck of cards, and the boy shoved the pile of cards on the table into one of the pockets. Did this guy have six different decks?

"I enjoy a challenge," The boy then put the blue notebook into the pockets of his black pants, and then got off his chair. "Who might you be?"

"I'm Syrus. What's your name?" The blue haired boy answered.

"It's Bastion Misawa, but you answered my question incorrectly." Bastion Misawa? Wasn't that the guy who would get the highest score on every exam? How was he only in Ra Yellow?

"What do you mean?" A puzzled expression dawned on the Slifer's face.

"I wasn't asking for your name. I was asking about your relation to Jaden." Bastion added loftily.

"I'm his friend."

"How did you become his friend?" That was a strange question. It was even stranger how Bastion had said the word 'friend,' so mockingly. Did Bastion not believe that he was friends with Jaden?

"We're roommates?" Syrus suggested.

"Then you must take me to your room at this instance." Bastion deadpanned.

Syrus's mouth hung wide open, unsure of how to respond. Who was this guy? Why did he want to go to their room?

"I'm sorry?"

"I must study Jaden's living habits in order to get a deeper understanding of his habits as a duelist." Bastion stated, as if what he said was not creepy at all.

Syrus didn't understand Bastion. He was so socially awkward; it was like he had never spoken to another human being in his life. The Slifer wasn't the one to talk though; he had talked to many people in his life and he was even more socially awkward than Bastion was at times.

"Uh, I don't think I can, because I have other plans." Syrus lied, "I told my friend, Chumley, that we would go to the beach together."

"If you're trying to tell me that you can't take me to your room, because you have to interact with other people, you are a worse liar than you let yourself believe." Bastion continued, "First of all, my observations tell me that you tend to stammer a lot, and get scared easily based on your little scream from earlier. These are all signs of a socially awkward person. Socially awkward persons do not interact with other persons. Thus, there are two possibilities that lead to the conclusion that you are lying. A) Chumley is not your friend, and you are just using his name to make your lie more believable. B)Chumley is an imaginary figure that you fabricated to give yourself the illusion that you have friends. I support the latter possibility."

Syrus's face grew red with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. Chumley wasn't his imaginary friend! He was real. Who was Bastion to tell him that he was so socially awkward that he needed to make imaginary friends for himself?

"Chumley happens to be my roommate!" Syrus argued, "And I am not socially awkward!"

"You also said Jaden was your roommate and your friend. Yet, you are unwilling to take me to your ro-"

"I'm not 'unwilling.' I told you I have plans!" Syrus interrupted, "And do you know how creepy you sound? You want to study Jaden's 'living habits.' What in the world does that even mean?"

"You are unwilling to tak me to your room. I conclude that Jaden isn't really friends with you. If he was, he wouldn't mind you having me over. I assume Jaden only tolerates your presence, since you are roommates. You don't want Jaden to think any lesser of you, so you don't want to bother his peace by inviting an unexpected guest into the room," Bastion was really getting under Syrus's nerves.

"He won't mind! Chumley won't mind either! In fact, you can come over right now to see for yourself that Chumley is a real person and that Jaden is my friend!" Syrus shouted.

"Again with the Chumley thing? He's not real, Syrus. He's, in layman's terms, your imaginary friend." Bastion pursed his lips, in a way that made Syrus's blood boil.

"Well, are you coming or not?" Syrus huffed, walking towards the door of the video room.

Bastion smirked. 'Idiot.'

* * *

"Jaden, can you rub lotion on my back?" Mindy asked in a bubbly voice, holding up a white squeeze bottle for the boy. There was not a single cloud in the sky, as the sun shimmered brightly on the golden sand of the beach. She had her white bikini on, and didn't want her skin to dry; that would be disgusting.

That wasn't the only reason she wanted Jaden to rub lotion on her back. She had a crush on the Slifer to put it bluntly. She first noticed Jaden when he defeated Crowler in the entrance exams, and simply thought that the boy was cute. However, they had been spending a lot of time together in the past few weeks. Her shallow obsession over his looks was replaced by feelings for the brown-haired boy.

There was a problem, though. At times, Mindy felt like she was competing for Jaden's attention with her best friend Alexis. When Jaden and she hung out, Alexis was always there with them. At times Mindy felt like she was a third wheel.

Mindy would try extra hard to flirt with the boy, while flirting with him just came naturally to Alexis; it was like the blonde girl would do it unintentionally. Well, Mindy hoped Alexis did it unintentionally. She had told her friend how much Jaden meant to her, and Alexis had decided to give the two of them space. It still didn't make Mindy any less jealous of her friend though.

Despite her best efforts, it seemed that Jaden did not have a clue, and was the most thick-headed guy she's ever met. How many more 'subtle' hints did she have to drop for him?

Her other friend, Jasmine, would avoid hanging out with them when they were around Jaden. Jasmine had said that Mindy's efforts to flirt made her cringe in embarrassment, and wanted to pretend as if she had nothing to do with Mindy.

"Uh, sure thing!" Jaden answered. He was wearing black swim trunks; he had his shirt off which was a plus for her. Her knees felt weak as she stared at how toned his body was; it was pretty impressive for only a first year student. He didn't seem to pay attention to her staring at him; Jaden was too busy opening up the bottle and covering his hands with lotion, "Turn around."

Mindy grinned, as she turned her back to him. She leaned forward on her white beach chair, turning to the chair on her right, expecting Alexis to shake her head or groan at Mindy's antics. However, the blonde girl in the turquoise bikini didn't seem to notice Mindy at all; the blonde girl's hazel eyes were looking at the horizon, as if she was in deep thought.

She looked at her friend worriedly. Was something bothering her? Did it have something to do with Atticus? Atticus, Alexis's brother, had been missing for the past few months, and Mindy knew that it was hurting her. Alexis had bottled up her pain from losing her brother, and refused to have anyone help her deal with it. It wasn't until her duel with Jaden that she felt comfortable enough to share what she was going through with her friends.

The concern on her face dissolved, as she felt Jaden's arm wrapping around her bare waist. He leaned in closer to her, gently rubbing his hands on her back. Her face flushed, as she breathed quietly, but heavily. It was good thing her face was turned away from him, or Jaden would have seen how much of an idiot she looked like.

She could feel his breathing down her neck, as his arms moved around her waist. They felt muscular, and she felt comfortable around his arms.

There was a moment of silence around them, and the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the waves kissing the shores of the beach and the seagulls flying over them.

"Jaden." She said his name softly.

"What's up, Mindy?"

"You missed a spot." She giggled, inwardly squealing at the way he said her name.

She was enjoying this.

* * *

"Syrus! Why is this guy going through our closet?" Chumley exploded from the top bunk. He was in the middle of his Friday afternoon nap, before Syrus and his new friend, Bastion, interrupted him. Well, he wasn't quite Syrus's friend. Syrus had insisted that they were not even close to being friends.

Apparently, Bastion wanted to analyze Jaden's living habits, because they were supposedly related to Jaden's habits as a duelist. This guy wanted to study literally everything about Jaden just to beat him in a duel. When Chumely asked the Ra Yellow why he was so obsessed with beating Jaden, Bastion argued that he wasn't obsessed; he thought Jaden would be a challenging opponent, and it was only natural he did everything in his power to try and win. He had said that any rational person would behave like he did.

Chumley was already weirded out by how creepy Bastion was. Things only got worse, when the Ra Yellow had opened up their closet that the three Slifers had shared, and started poking at various objects inside it.

"Do not worry. I will be done soon." Bastion said, eyeing the boy at the top bunk, "Say, does your name happen to be Chumley?"

"Yeah, how did you-"

"I would like to apologize to you, Syrus." Bastion spoke, "It seems that Chumley is very much real. It was an honest mistake"

"An honest mistake?!" Syrus fumed.

"What the hell do you mean by that?"The older boy boomed, clueless as to what the two boys were talking about.

"Will you tell him or should I?" Bastion asked, holding Jaden's gym strip in his hands. He then sniffed it, before throwing it on the ground and holding his nose in disgust.

"What's wrong with you?!" Syrus cried. He didn't understand why Bastion would sniff another man's gym strip.

"Well I do have my share of flaws. For one, if I'm deprived of oxygen, I'm likely to die." Syrus grit his teeth, growing more and more restless at Bastion's lack of tact.

"What the hell did you mean by Chumley is 'very much' real?!" The koala shaped boy expressed once again.

"Syrus told me that he couldn't take me to his room, because he had plans to go to the beach with his 'friend' Chumley." Bastion mockingly emphasized the word 'friend' once again. "I, being the reasonable and observant person I am, noticed how socially awkward Syrus is. I figured that with his personality it would be difficult for him to make 'friends,' unless they were imaginary. Thus, I assumed that Chumley was just a name Syrus used to make his excuse more believable, or that he was imaginary. An honest mistake."

"How is that an honest mistake?!" Chumley demanded, "Have you ever seen anyone who actually has imaginary friends?!"

"Pokemon Crystal, huh? This guy only has four badges, and he's played the game for twelve hours. Pathetic." Bastion had Jaden's Game Boy Color in his hands. He then lifted his eyes from the screen to stare at Chumley, before addressing the older boy's question. "According to certain surveys, parental neglect causes lonely children under the age of nine to fabricate the illusion that they are loved through the creation of imaginary friends."

"Does Syrus look like he's nine years old to you?" Chumley roared.

"I said under the age of nine you oaf, and of course Syrus is not that young, but he is lonely. I noticed that came in the video room all by himself, before he found me." Bastion corrected, before bouncing Jaden's basketball on the vinyl flooring.

"I was picking up something for the headmistress!" Syrus yelled, "I didn't go there to to hang out all by myself!"

"Yes and positrons are not anti-matter." Bastion scoffed sarcastically, continuing to bounce the ball.

"Stop doing that!" Syrus added. Their dorm room was located on the second floor, and the noise of the basketball would probably reverberate into the floor beneath them, "There's a room below us!"

"Oh please, Syrus. It's a Friday. What kind of deadbeat loser spends their time in their dorm rooms on a Friday?" Bastion challenged, eyeing Chumley, before telling himself, "As expected, the basketball is flat, and does not have enough air in it."

Chumley clenched his fists. That was it. At first he was slightly irritated at the boy's behavior and quirks, but now Bastion had looked down on him. He was never the patient type, and would get angry easily. He was going to give this tactless Ra Yellow a piece of his mind. So what if he spent his Friday napping? There was nothing better to do anyways.

Bastion then took a DVD case out of the closet, as his eyes widened. There was no way this DVD was authentic; there was precisely only thirty copies in the world. How did Jaden have his hand on it?

The Ra Yellow was so focused on the disk case that he didn't notice how red Chumley's face was turning in rage.

"Get out!" He hollered, pointing aggressively towards the door, "It's my room! I won't have a stupid nerd like you waste my time!"

"Might I suggest anger management classes?" Bastion deadpanned, "Also I believe that you are contradicting yourself. A nerd is classified as a highly intelligent person, yet you said I was a stupid nerd. By saying this, you are implying that I am a stupid highly intelligent person, which doesn't make any sense. Does it?"

"OUT!" Chumley growled.

"Syrus, I think your roommate is suggesting that I should leave." Bastion stated.

"You think?" Syrus was getting just as frustrated as Chumley.

"I will choose to stay, as it's only a suggestion. Besides, it's not like he can do anything to make me leave. By the time he gets out of that bed, it'll probably have been a couple hours. It's not like Chumley's obesity will go away without exercise and medication."

"I'm going to kill you," Chumley breathed, as he slowly began to make his way out of his bed.

"I am done here. I found out everything about Jaden that I needed to, and I can confidently say that he cannot beat me."

"Well, you're just a cocky piece of shit, aren't you?" Chumley made his way down the ladder of the triple bunk bed. It took him a considerable amount of time, because of his weight.

"I will leave." Bastion said, as Syrus let out a heavy sigh of relief loud enough for Bastion to hear. "But I'm taking this DVD with me."

* * *

"Bastion, even a tactless moron like you, must have morals." Syrus cried out, "You can't just steal the Duelist Kingdom DVD. It's not even Jaden's. He borrowed it from someone."

The Ra Yellow had exited the room, and Syrus had followed him. After they were out of the room they could hear Chumley screaming, along with the sound of wood snapping and glass breaking. It seemed that the older boy was taking out his anger out on inanimate objects.

They were on the deck outside Syrus's room, standing behind a wooden railing.

"I intended to return it to you, once I finished watching it." Bastion continued, "I figured that since you didn't have a TV in your room; you had no use for the DVD at the moment."

"There's a TV in the lounge room downstairs!" Syrus exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but I prefer to watch the DVD in my own room, where it is quiet. I predict that the lounge room will be noisy and occupied by unintelligible Slifers." Bastion pursed his lips, causing Syrus to clench his fists tightly to stop himself from lashing out at the Ra Yellow.

"You're saying that we Slifers are unintelligible?" Syrus grit his teeth, breathing heavily in anger.

"Yes and no." Bastion answered, "It would be foolish to assume all Slifers are unintelligible just like it is foolish to assume that all rectangles are squares. However, I can tell from my observation that some Slifers are very unintelligible."

Bastion then pointed towards the door of Syrus's dorm room. Chumley was still roaring in rage, and more objects seemed to get broken.

"I will watch the DVD in my room, despite your kind suggestion to watch the DVD in the lounge room"

"I wasn't suggesting that!" The Slifer groaned.

"Very well, I guess that settles it. My room it is." Bastion declared, making his way to the wooden stairs at the end of the deck.

"You can't just leave with the DVD!" Syrus stood in front of Bastion to stop him in his path.

"I suppose you're right. It would be rude just to leave you here alone. You invited me to your room, so it would be impolite not to return the favor. How would you like to join me? It's not like you have any plans or anything." Bastion explained.

"No! I want the DVD back." Syrus asserted; all traces of his wimpy demeanor were replaced by restlessness and frustration at Bastion's lack of tact. Frankly, he didn't want to be alone in the same room with a guy who sniffed other people's gym strips.

"Are you sure? Don't you think that you should take refuge in my room, until koala boy calms down? Chumley will probably break every bone in your body to take out his anger, if you go back to your room. I strongly recommend that the boy should take anger management classes; the statistics prove how effective they can be." Bastion lectured.

Syrus turned his eyes to the door; the noise wasn't getting any quieter, and Bastion wasn't getting any less stubborn "Fine, but after you're done watching I want it back."

"My pleasure," Bastion grinned, walking down the stairs, as the Slifer followed from behind him.

Syrus just hoped that Chumley would clean up his mess after he was done.

* * *

"So Jaden, do you want to go for a swim?" Mindy cooed, leaning her head against her arm, but she got no answer, "Uh, Jaden?"

Jaden then got off his chair, and walked in front of Alexis's beach chair. His expression was one of concern: concern that seemed to distract him from what Mindy had just said.

"What's up Jay?" Alexis asked, noticing the boy standing in front of her.

"Can I talk to you? Alone?"

* * *

"Why are you so quiet today?" Jaden questioned. They had momentarily left the beach, and the shining sun was replaced by the shade of the woods. He still had his swim trunks on, but he had put on his Slifer Red jacket. Even though the jackt was unbuttoned, he was not completely topless.

A slight rush of air breezed through the white jacket that she wore over her turquoise bikini. "Is that a problem? I don't have to talk to you twenty-four seven Jay, if I don't want to."

"No need to get so defensive." Jaden replied; they had left Mindy on the beach, but promised her that they would return in a matter of minutes. Jaden had a pretty good idea of what was bothering Alexis. If he was right, it would take more than a couple minutes to discuss it, "Is it about him?"

"I told you I'm getting better. Atticus is gone, but I'm trying my best to stay strong. I have really supportive friends to help me get through it." She smiled half-heartedly at the Slifer.

"I mean Chazz." Jaden said, causing Alexis to grimace. It had only been a day since Jaden had defeated Chazz, and the Obelisk was reported to be missing. There was also a report of a missing rowboat, and many assumed that Chazz had left the island on this boat. They had called for a search party to look for him, but they were unable to find him.

"I still can't believe you beat him," She shook her head in disbelief.

"If it wasn't for Winged Kuriboh, I probably would have been screwed." Jaden chuckled.

"How do you even have that card in your deck? I thought there was only one copy of it in the world and it was Koyo's card." Alexis wondered out loud.

"Koyo gave it to me…" Jaden said quietly after a while, he would not meet her eyes. "You know how I told you about how I became so depressed after my friend fell into a coma? Well, my friend was Koyo."

Alexis frowned, before pressing her hand against Jaden's chest. It turned out that she didn't know everything about the brown-haired boy. Even the optimistic and the happy-go-lucky duelist had scars. She looked at him softly, putting her other hand on his chin. She lifted his face, forcing him to meet her eyes.

"It's not your fault that Koyo ended up like that…" Jaden looked dejectedly into her hazel eyes, knowing that this wasn't true. It was his fault. It was nothing but his fault.

The two of them stood in silence for a while, before Jaden managed to find himself.

"I guess you're right." He lied, before he changed subjects lamely, "I hope Chazz is alright."

Alexis's face twisted, "The sad thing is I told him I wouldn't leave his side, and that I would be there for him, but he left anyways. It upsets me how little I meant to him."

She sighed heavily, leaning against Jaden's chest, as the boy wrapped his arms around her. It was his turn to comfort her now.

"He believed that he lost everything, and on top of that he lost to you. He's probably so hopeless…He might think that he has nothing to live for; I just hope that he doesn't-"She couldn't finish. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed likely. Chazz had gone all the way to the middle of the ocean on a rowboat. It was definitely deep enough, and they hadn't found him yet. It was possible that he had enough of his miserable life and-

"Hey, don't think like that." Jaden expressed, bringing her close to him.

"I can't Jaden!" Alexis choked back tears, "I can't lose anyone else. Losing my brother is enough."

"I don't think Chazz would just kill himself like that. Not when he told me he wanted to get revenge on someone. He wouldn't kill himself without settling things with that person." Jaden reassured her, desperately hoping that he was right.

"Revenge? Why would he want revenge, and on who?" She breathed.

"I don't know, but he told me he gave up everything for revenge; he was changed by how much he wanted revenge…He said he wouldn't be able to find peace, until he destroyed this person." Jaden recalled.

Was that why he changed? That must have been why Chazz was so hateful; it was because of how much he wanted to get revenge. She had always thought that his parents' murder was what caused Chazz to be so angry all the time. Alexis then put the two and two together. It couldn't be. Did he want to destroy the person who murdered his parents? Did he know who this person was?

"That still doesn't explain why he left!" Alexis lamented, "What was he thinking going off on his own like that?"

"I don't know." Jaden leaned his head against hers, "But I hate seeing you so upset."

"It's funny how you only care about me when I'm upset." She pouted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, wincing at her choice of words. He was just trying to comfort her.

"You don't give me enough attention, because your too busy flirting with Mindy!" She pushed herself away from him, crossing her arms, "Sometimes I feel like a third wheel, when I hang out with you guys."

"Alexis." Jaden said, "I don't see Mindy like that. She's just a friend."

"Well it didn't seem like that when you were rubbing lotion on her back." Alexis argued. She didn't know why she was getting so heated. Why did it matter if Jaden and Mindy had feelings for each other? Mindy had already told her that she did.

"Well I was doing her a favor as a friend, and I thought you didn't even notice. You were too busy looking at the sky and worrying about Chazz." Jaden defended himself.

"Of course I'd notice! I could hear Mindy giggle like an idiot every five seconds."

Jaden shook his head, before a sudden smirk formed on his face. "Were you jealous?"

"Of course not!" Her face flushed, "I'm just mad, because it seems like you two are spending more time together, and leaving me out of things."

"I'm sorry if you felt that way Alexis." Jaden's tone shifted to a more sincere one, "I think that she's really friendly and outgoing, but I don't have feelings for her. Even if I do they're not very strong, and I can't see a future with her as anything but a friend."

Unbeknownst to Jaden, Mindy had hid herself behind one of the trees in the forest, listening into their conversation. She found it hard to breathe once she had heard Jaden say that. She bit her lips fiercely, as she quietly walked back to the beach.

It hurt her to hear him say that.

* * *

Syrus didn't understand how Bastion hadn't been kicked out of his room yet.

The green walls of his room were covered with lines and lines of black ink. The lines consisted of equations and notes that stretched all the way around the walls. This had to be some form of vandalism.

With the exception of the walls, his room was organized very neatly. The way his bed was made, it seemed like no one had ever slept on it before. The table across his bed was dust free, and a single laptop was placed on top of it. To right of the table was bookshelf; every book fit perfectly. There was no room for any more books, and removing a book would cause the others to topple.

Bastion moved the laptop from his desk and placed it on top of his bed. He then lifted his table, turning it towards his small black TV. He took a small, blue notebook out of his pocket and placed it on the desk, before sitting down on a black armchair.

Syrus took a seat on the stool next to the boy.

"What's up with your walls?" Syrus asked Bastion, trying to break the awkward silence between them.

"They are vinyl walls. You have the same walls in your room, so it is strange of you to ask me that." Bastion then turned his attention to the television screen in front of him.

"I mean, why is there writing on it?" Syrus sighed; he should have expected that kind of answer from Bastion.

"I use the walls to stimulate mock duels. The equations are usually the subtraction of life-points, and the notes are acronyms for card names." Bastion explained. His eyes then narrowed, observing the screen closely. The DVD had just started and first scene was the duel between Yugi and Weevil. He was studying this. He then began to jot something down on his notebook. It seemed that Bastion was always observing and analyzing whatever he thought was important.

"Why can't you just stimulate mock duels in your notebook?" Syrus wondered. He found that there was no reason to vandalize these walls.

"There are countless possibilities in a duel, and if I tried to write them down in a notebook I would run out of space."

"Wouldn't you run out of space on the walls too?" Syrus challenged.

"I just paint over them once I run out of space, wait for the paint to dry, and start writing again."

"But how would you remember what you had before you painted the walls?"

"I just remember." Bastion stated simply.

"Do you have a photographic memory or something?" Syrus questioned. Surely, Bastion would forget something with all those equations and notes that he had to memorize. But then again, Bastion was always ranked first for written exams. Bastion had aced the Duel Mechanics Test that Syrus had got a zero on and many other exams after that. Syrus recognized Bastion's name as the one at the top of the list for test results. This was for pretty much applicable for every written exam; Bastion was always first. Was that the secret to his success? His memory?

"No. I just find it easier to remember things when I can write them down and visualize it in front of my eyes."

"But still, you have a crazy memory. No wonder you've aced every test." Syrus then frowned. He had always thought that Bastion was an Obelisk Blue student; even though he had never met Bastion, he had figured that the genius's insanely high test scores would guarantee him a place in the school's highest ranked dorm.

"I see that you are aware of my test results." Bastion stated plainly, without any pride or satisfaction, "I deduce that you recognized my name from the list of test results that Crowler releases every exam."

"Yeah…" Syrus replied, "Bastion, if your test scores are so high, then wh-"

"Why am I not in Obelisk Blue?" The boy finished for the Slifer.

Syrus was taken aback by how Bastion had read his mind like that. He nodded, without saying a word.

"I'm not a very good duelist." He answered, "My scores for practical duels are really low."

'If you're not a very good duelist, then why did you claim that you could beat Jaden you cocky prick?' Syrus wanted to ask him. Instead, he said, "But you study dueling so hard, how can you say that you're not a good duelist?"

"I don't study dueling. I study how to duel specific opponents, and design a deck to counter their dueling style and strategies. I am nearly unbeatable, when I can study my opponents before I duel them. In practical exams, I don't know what kind of cards the evaluators will use. Without a dueling style and strategy of my own, I tend to duel poorly in these tests." Bastion sighed.

"Wouldn't it be better if you had a set strategy and style that you used for every duel?" Bastion had a very weird way of doing things.

"My way is effective. When I am able to study my opponents beforehand, I almost never lose." Bastion had included the word 'almost,' because of his defeat to Chazz a few months back. Although Chazz hadn't used the deck Bastion hoped he'd use, he had still studied the Princeton boy.

"I guess you can't fix what's not broken. If it works it works." Syrus shrugged, before his tone shifted to one with more agitation, "But is it really necessary to study Jaden's 'living habits?'"

"Yes it was. I was able to find out something about him that made me certain that I can beat him."

"How?" Syrus cried.

"First of all I noticed that his bed wasn't made. His gym strip smelled like shit. I then noticed that he had played a video game for a long time, without making much progress. He also had a flat basketball, and he had placed the Duelist Kingdom DVD in the closet." Syrus still didn't understand.

"I don't get it."

"Well, it's because you are a simpleton." Bastion pursed his lips loftily, causing Syrus for the hundredth time that day to want to hit him. "All of things I just said is a result of his laziness. Jaden is a talented duelist, but he only relies on his talent to win. He is too lazy to try and improve himself."

Syrus wanted to yell at Bastion, defending Jaden and telling the Ra Yellow that his friend wasn't lazy, but he had agreed with Bastion. Jaden was very lazy; even though he said that dueling excited him, he didn't really try to improve his dueling skills. He simply dueled, without the long-term goal for self-improvement. He was too lazy to do laundry and wash his gym strip. He was even lazy, when he played video games. His avatar wandered aimlessly, without a clear goal in his mind. Jaden never put in the effort to pump up the basketball, and he wasn't very organized, even putting such a rare DVD in the mess that was their closet.

"Even if he is lazy, how do you know that you can beat him? He's still very talented." Syrus argued, "What if your counter strategy doesn't work?"

"It will." Bastion smiled lightly, remembering all the work he had done to analyze Jaden's strategies. He had very little to work with, because Jaden had never dueled competitively and did not have too much recorded duels. The only two duels that Bastion had to work with were the Slifer's duel with Crowler, and his duel with Chazz for the promotion exams. There was no video footage of Jaden's duel with Chazz, but Bastion had watched that duel in person along with the rest of the first year students and he remembered every single detail. "I'm sure of it."

He had done everything he could.

* * *

Midori Hibiki walked very carefully; she didn't want any sand to get in her white ankle boots. Her head rotated around her neck, looking for Jaden. He had told her that he was going to the beach with his friends, and he hadn't been responding to her text messages either. She assumed that he had put his phone away to enjoy this sunny day.

She was only in a white tank top and a red skirt, yet she was already short of breath. She wanted to relax and enjoy herself at the beach as well, especially because it was a Friday. The week was over, but she still had her responsibilities as a teacher. She planned to watch the footage of yesterday's promotion exams to evaluate the dueling skills of her Slifer Red students. That way she could tell them what they could improve on.

She had sent Syrus to pick up the disks from the video room, but he had been gone for more than an hour. Syrus's task should have taken way less than that. Perhaps, Syrus had forgotten about his task and went to the beach with his friend Jaden, Midori figured.

A small crab crawled around her feet, causing her to jump. She bit her lips, carefully taking a few steps backwards. The crab crawled towards her; she had the urge to step on it to stop it from moving, but she didn't want to send this poor little crab to its death.

Sighing, Midori cautiously reached for the crab, her face wincing, as she resisted the urge to scream. She held the crustacean skin between her fingers, which had made her feel uneasy. This uneasiness was replaced by relief, once she tossed the little creature into the ocean and far away from her. She would have to wash her hands sooner than later though.

The familiar feeling of crustacean skin against hers suddenly returned to her, as she felt something crawling down her back inside her tank top. She screamed, as her hands frantically reached behind her to knock the crab out of her tank top and off her back. As she desperately flailed her arms, she could hear the sound of someone laughing behind her.

Once she had managed to knock the crab out of her shirt and back on to the ground, she turned in the direction of the laughter, and she saw the familiar, devilish boy.

"That's not funny Jaden!" Midori glared at him, her hazel eyes refusing to waver.

"You should have seen your face!" Jaden guffawed, holding his stomach with his arms.

She then pushed him on to the sand aggressively; she started to kick sand on to him, as he covered his face with his arms, continuing to laugh.

"You stupid troll." She glowered, trying to get as much sand on to his face as possible.

"Come on, it was funny." Jaden didn't seem to mind that there was sand going into his mouth and eyes, as he rolled on the beach in laughter.

"No, it wasn't! I was scared as shit, Jaden!" She then kicked his stomach with her ankle boots, causing Jaden to inhale deeply, before wheezing in pain. "How can you be so immature?"

After a few moments, Jaden brought himself up, only to be pushed down again. He shook his head, getting up for the second time.

"I'm sorry!" Jaden said, putting his arms around her as a peace offering.

"Don't touch me." She knocked him back on to the sand, pouting, "And for the record, you're a fat little fuck."

She pressed her boot against her stomach to emphasize this, as she stuck his tongue out at him.

"I said I'm sorry!" Jaden complained, choking the sand out of his mouth.

"I can push you off a cliff, and be 'sorry,' about it, but it won't fix all your broken bones! You should consider your actions next time." She scolded him.

"You don't have to be such a nag…" Jaden muttered under his breath.

"A nag? Are you kidding me? Ugh!" Midori clenched her fists in exasperation, as her faced burned in anger. "You have some nerve to call me that right now Jaden Yuki."

"I won't do it again. I promise!" Jaden breathed heavily.

"Whatever," She huffed, deciding that she wouldn't talk to him for a couple of weeks after this, "Is Syrus with you?"

"No. I thought he went to pick up the disks for you."

"Well, he didn't so I thought he'd be with you!" Midori exclaimed.

'Well, maybe if you weren't so lazy, you would have got the disks yourself.' Jaden thought, but what he said was, "I can text him for you I just need to get my phone from my bag."

"Well? What are you waiting for you bum?" Midori demanded her eyes fiercely boring into Jaden. "Hurry up, before I kick you where it hurts. I'll make sure you won't ever have babies in your life."

Jaden shuddered, as he instantaneously sprinted for his bag. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to piss off Midori like that.

* * *

Mindy sighed, as she watched Jaden get sand kicked on to him by the Slifer Red headmistress from afar. She sat on her beach chair with Alexis next to her, as she watched the poor boy get brutally assaulted.

The black haired girl pouted dejectedly, crossing her arms, as she sat miserably on her chair. She had thought that Jaden was her ideal guy. He was good at dueling, really attractive, and accepted her for who she was. He would never complain or groan whenever she did something outlandish or shallow. Jaden didn't seem to return her feelings, however. It wasn't fair.

"I wonder if Jaden's okay…" Alexis winced, watching Midori's white ankle boots bore into Jaden's stomach. "But he had it coming; if Jaden put a crab into my shirt I'd probably push him into a fire or something."

"Yeah." Mindy replied, as she remembered how Jaden had wrapped his arms around the blonde girl and pulled him closer to his bare chest. Her heart stopped.

"She's really pretty, even when she's angry. It's not even fair." Alexis commented, admiring the headmistress from afar.

"She is." Mindy said quietly, intentionally looking away from Alexis.

"Jaden said that they were really close, almost like brother and sister." Alexis explained, "They fight like siblings too."

"Right."

"Okay, what's going on Mindy? You've been so reserved since we got back. It's not like you." Alexis turned towards Mindy, noticing that the black-haired girl was looking away from her. She frowned at how her friend wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Do you like Jaden?" Mindy said bluntly, "Like have feelings for him?"

Alexis shook her head. This was why she was acting so gloomy? She was a little disappointed in Mindy. They were friends; Mindy had told Alexis that she had feelings for Jaden. Mindy should have trusted her more, and not suddenly assume that Alexis wanted the same guy that she did. Yet, it wasn't like her feelings for Jaden would just go away…

"I don't know, Mindy." Alexis answered, causing Mindy to gasp.

"Oh my gosh, you do. You're unbelievable, Alexis. I told you I really like Jaden." Mindy said fiercely.

"I know, but it's not like I can control if I have feelings for him or not." Alexis argued, "Whenever I'm having a vulnerable moment, he's always there to comfort me, and I feel safe around him."

"You mean like how he was cuddling with you in the woods." Mindy challenged.

"You followed us there?" Alexis asked in disbelief. Did Mindy not trust the two of them to be alone? Did Mindy not trust her at all? It was getting under her nerves. "I thought we were friends, Mindy. Friends are supposed to trust each other."

"Not when they're trying to take your crush away from you!" Mindy retorted.

"He told me he doesn't have any feelings for you, just give it up." Alexis cried in frustration, but as soon as she said those words she immediately regretted it.

The anger in Mindy's face dissolved into anguish, as her face twisted. Her lips trembled, as she struggled to hold back tears. She buried her face in her hands, as her breathing got heavier. "You're the worst!"

The expression on Alexis's face softened, seeing her friend break down like this. She knew how much Jaden meant to Mindy, and it probably devastated her to hear him say that he didn't return her feelings. Mindy began to sob silently, pulling her knees closer to her chest.

"Mindy, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry." Alexis apologized lamely.

"Will you shut up? It's true. I heard him say so himself! I try so hard to get him to notice me, Alexis, and you don't even seem to try at all, but he likes you anyways. It's not fair." She sniffled.

Alexis sighed deeply. She hated seeing the bubbly girl so upset. "Look Mindy, you're very fun to be around and you're always so cheerful. There are so many good things about you that I'd die to have. You can't beat yourself up, just because some stupid guy doesn't like you back. Heck, he doesn't even deserve you. You deserve so much better."

"That's easy for you to say, you're the one he wants…" Mindy pouted.

"No, I mean it! I don't want him to come between our friendship. I'd rather have both you and Jaden as my friends, than lose either of you." Alexis expressed sincerely, as Mindy slowly lifted her head to meet her friend's eyes.

"Promise?" She asked childishly.

"I promise that no guy will ever ruin our friendship. I don't want to lose you," Alexis then grinned cheekily, "Because then I can't tease you about how you called our middle-aged history teacher sexy."

"It was one time!" Mindy defended, as a small smile formed on her face. It was going to be tough for her to get over Jaden, but at least she would have Alexis to help her through it. She imagined how much it would tear her apart to see him with her best friend, and was grateful that Alexis was willing to support her.

She could live with that…for now.

* * *

"Shit!" Syrus yelled, looking at the text message that he had just received on his phone.

"It's good to know what you think of yourself." Bastion smirked, as the closing credits of the DVD rolled down the TV screen.

Syrus ignored Bastion's snide remark, as his expression changed to one of concern. Jaden had just texted him. He had said that Miss Hibki was in a sour mood, and she was wondering where the disks were.

Bastion peeked over his shoulder, looking at the text message on Syrus's phone. "So?"

Syrus buried his head in his hands, sighing, "I guess I'll have to go get the disks from my room."

"No, you shouldn't do that. That oaf Chumley probably broke the disks." Bastion shook his head.

"What am I supposed to do then? Go to the beach and explain to her how my roommate broke the disks, because some guy called him obese?" Syrus cried.

"Yes. That's exactly what we should do."

* * *

The first thing Syrus did was walk towards Alexis and handed her a DVD case to Jaden's dismay.

"This is for you." Syrus said, "I found it in our closet."

"Thanks Syrus," Alexis answered, before her eyes widened, "Jaden, you told me that you lost it! Have you been hiding the DVD in your closet the whole time?"

"Uh, I guess I lost it in our closet," Jaden laughed sheepishly, before glaring at Syrus.

"And Miss Hibiki, I'm so sorry I forgot about the disks. It's been a long day. I got sidetracked at the video room when I-"

"I'm Bastion Misawa. Jaden Yuki, I challenge you to a duel. " Bastion exclaimed, randomly interrupting them. Jaden, Mindy, Alexis, and Midori gave him strange looks, as Syrus slapped his face with his palm.

"Uh…Okay, just let me get my duelist dude. I've always wanted to duel on the beach…" Jaden said slowly, slightly creeped out by how the boy was staring at him with an expressionless face. He was taken aback by how the boy had interrupted them so abruptly and inappropriately.

"Syrus, who is your friend?" Midori hissed silently.

"He's not my friend! I met him at the video room, and saw him studying Jaden's duels on a computer. I asked him about it, and we talked for a bit. He wanted to come over to our room, when I told him I was Jaden's roommate. He said he wanted to study Jaden's living habits." Syrus whispered back.

"Something is wrong with that guy. Why is he stalking Jaden? What does he even mean by living habits?" Midori expressed.

"He says he wants to duel Jaden, because he likes challenging himself with strong opponents." Syrus shook his head, eyeing the boy, "He won't leave me alone!"

"Is he checking out my boobs?" Midori was slightly more freaked out by the boy in the Ra Yellow jacket. "Do you think he'll stop bothering us, when Jaden beats him?"

"I really hope so!" Syrus breathed.

* * *

"I've prepared to duel you since I saw you beat Crowler at the entrance exams. I was impressed with your talent, and I researched ways to neutralize your strategies." Bastion explained.

"Okay…I didn't even know who you were until today!" Jaden shrugged, "I guess it's kind of cool to have someone admire me so much that they commit their time to beating me."

"It's not cool. It's weird!" Mindy expressed, watching the two duelists get ready to duel, "What's wrong with you?"

"Well I do have my share of flaws. For one, if I'm deprived of oxygen, I'm likely to die." Bastion told Mindy, causing her to groan at how socially awkward he was.

Bastion 4000

Jaden 4000

"I will start." Bastion asserted, drawing and examining his hand: Oxygeddon, Hydrogeddon, Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Seal, Card Destruction, Skill Successor, and Red Ogre.

"I will summon Oxygeddon in attack position." A pterodactyl made of water materialized on the sand in front of them. (ATK 1800/DEF 800)

"I'll set two face-downs and end my turn." Basiton set Skill Successor and Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Seal. Things were going smoothly so far.

Jaden drew, as he studied his hand. It consisted of Elemental Hero Avian, Elemental Hero Burstinatrix, Elemental Hero Bladeedge, Card Trooper, Polymerization, and Death and Rebirth.

"I'll start off by activating Polymerization to summon my favorite hero. I fuse Elementa-"

"I expected as much." Bastion smirked, revealing his trap. "Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell negates the effect of Polymerization and destroys it, if I discard a spell from my hand."

He discarded Card Destruction, before his smirk was quickly wiped off and his face was left expressionless once again.

"You cannot activate any card named Polymerization for the rest of the duel." Syrus looked at Jaden with concern. Jaden relied on Polymerization and fusion monsters as the backbone of all his strategies. Bastion had just taken that away from him. Despite Bastion's lack of social skills, he wasn't lying when he said he had studied all of Jaden's strategies and created counter measures for them.

"Have no fear, Card Trooper's here!" Jaden carried on. A small red robot with a blue base and yellow spherical shoulder pads had formed on the field. (ATK 400/DEF 400)

"Thanks to its effect I send the top three cards of my deck to the grave, and it gets five hundred attack points for each card, and if you do the math that's 1900 and it's strong enough to destroy Oxygeddon!" Jaden sent Elemental Hero Bubbleman, Elemental Hero Necroshade, and Elemental Hero Sparkman to the grave. "Card Trooper, attack!"

"Read like a book." Bastion stated, opening his reverse card. "I activate Skill Successor, so my Oxygeddon gains 400 attack points until the end of this turn."

Bastion 4000

Jaden 3700

"When Card Trooper's destroyed, I can draw a card." Jaden drew A Hero Emerges into his hand.

"As much as I hate to admit it, this creep is actually good." Midori observed; she was surprised that he wasn't in Obelisk Blue.

"Well, he did say he studied all of Jaden's strategies beforehand." Syrus argued.

"Even so, creating a deck to counter someone else's is easy to say, but it's actually really difficult to pull off effectively, especially for someone as talented as Jaden. He must really know his stuff." She then caught herself before she could compliment Bastion even more. He was still a creep.

"Sweet! I couldn't even dent your life points this turn. You're a great opponent." Jaden remarked. Despite the boy's odd quirks, his dueling skills were impressive, even if he had said he specifically designed a deck to stop Jaden's. It would be a challenge to beat him, because Bastion knew almost all of Jaden's strategies. It's a good thing Jaden liked challenges.

"I'll throw down two face-downs and end my turn." Jaden set A Hero Emerges and Death and Rebirth.

Bastion added De-Fusion to his hand on his draw phase, as grinned. Things were going as planned, but he couldn't get arrogant now. He had to execute.

"I summon Hydrogeddon in attack mode." A four legged dinosaur made entirely out of muddy water took its place next to Oxygeddon. (ATK 1600/DEF 1000)

"Jaden's field is wide open! if Bastion's two monsters attack, he'll lose almost all his life points." Mindy cried in panic.

"Somehow I doubt that." Alexis commented. She had realized that whenever things looked grim for Jaden he managed to turn things around. He had proved that with his duel against Chazz the other day.

"Attack Hydrogeddon." Bastion stated coldly, as the streams of water burst out the dinosaur's body.

"Reverse card open!" Jaden smirked, "A Hero Emerges forces you to choose a card in my hand, and if it's a monster I can special summon it."

"I guess if you want to take that gamble I'd be happy to oblige. Since if you only have one monster in your hand, there's only a one in three chance that you will be able to summon it." Bastion then proceeded to choose, "I choose the one on the right."

"I guess it's my luck day, because I summon Elemental Hero Avian in defense mode!" Jaden knew that it wasn't luck though; every card in his hand were monsters, so he would have been able to summon regardless of Bastion's choice. A hero in green fur and sharp long wings kneeled in front of Jaden. (ATK 1000/DEF 1000)

"My Hydrogeddon will continue its attack." The hero was no more. "If Hydrogeddon destroys a monster in battle, I can special summon another Hydrogeddon from my deck!" (ATK 1600/DEF 1000)

"Even when Jaden stops Bastion's attack, he manages to keep piling up the pressure." Syrus lamented. He knew that Jaden had come back from worse scenarios before, but Bastion hadn't even lost a single life point.

"He's always one step ahead of Jaden…" Midori noticed. She wondered how Jaden would bounce back from this.

"My other Hydrogeddon will attack you directly." Bastion asserted calmly, as his second Hydrogeddon got prepared to unleash its attack.

"Not so fast! I activate Death and Rebirth. When a normal monster I control is destroyed during the Battle Phase, I can destroy a monster on your field, and bring Avian back!" (ATK 1000/DEF 1000)

"Say goodbye to Hydrogeddon number two, 'aka' the one that was just attacking!" Jaden beamed, before his tone shifted to one of disappointment,"Unfortunately, Avian is forced to attack because of the effect of Death and Rebirth. I guess it'll attack Oxygeddon." The feathered man disintegrated as soon as it made contact with Oxygeddon, while the watery pterodactyl remained in its place.

Bastion 4000

Jaden 2900

"Oxygeddon attack Jaden directly." He was relentless.

"This is not good!" Mindy squealed, overwhelmed by how Bastion had control of this duel since the first turn.

"He's a pretty scary guy. He's scary good too." Syrus commented, causing Alexis to groan at his play-on-words.

"He hasn't lost a single life point either." Alexis pointed out. At the level he was dueling right now, it seemed like he was better than Chazz and she.

Bastion 4000

Jaden 900

"I was right." Bastion asserted.

"About what?" Jaden asked.

"You never had a chance from the start Jaden. I predicted that and it turns out I was right." Bastion explained.

"Hey! You can't just say that. You're the one who made a deck specifically to beat his!" Mindy defended the Slifer.

Midori clenched her fists at the boy's arrogance. She tried to steady her breath, and contained herself from strangling the Ra Yellow. As much of a prick Jaden was to her, she didn't want anyone to disrespect him like that.

"How were you so sure?" Jaden wondered out loud.

"I saw what you were capable of by studying your duel with Crowler, and your duel with Chazz. I also looked through your room."

"How are those two things even remotely related? And for the record, I wouldn't go around saying 'I looked through your room,' to just anybody if I were you. It's a tad weird." Jaden piped.

"Looking through your room, I inferred you were lazy from observations that I had made." Bastion continued, "Such as how nasty your gym strip smelled, since you were too lazy to wash it. And also ho-"

"You smelled my gym strip?!" Jaden freaked.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Mindy gave Bastion a nasty look.

"You disgust me." Midori said bluntly.

"This guy needs some serious help." Alexis added.

"I told you it was weird Bastion!" Syrus announced.

"That's not the point!" Bastion shook his head, "My point is that you are lazy, Jaden Yuki."

"He's right, you know," Alexis interjected, even though her face still twisted in disgust at Bastion's questionable action. Jaden would always show up late when they had made plans to hang out, and he never studied for his tests.

"I thought you were on my side Lex," Jaden complained, "You guys don't think I'm lazy do you?"

Mindy looked at the ground, pretending she never heard his question, while Syrus put his hands behind his back and began to whistle. Midori stifled a laugh.

"Okay maybe I'm a little lazy, but what does that have to do with my dueling skills?" Jaden groaned.

"You don't put in the effort to improve. You rely on your talent, so your capabilities are the same every duel. "Bastion claimed, "I guess I should get on with the duel though. I'll throw a face-down and end my turn."

He set De-Fusion face-down; it was almost too easy.

Jaden was taken aback. There was truth in Bastion's words. He never put in the effort to try and become a better duelist; he just relied on his talent to win. He would still have fun dueling and wanted to be a professional duelist, but he'd never try to improve himself. He was lazy and hoped that his talent would take him to the top magically; all he had to do was enjoy his duels until then. Now that he was getting completely hammered by the Ra Yellow, he could see how studying strategies before the duel could help him. His talent wasn't untouchable and couldn't rely on it forever. He needed to put in the work. Even so, the duel wasn't over. He still had something up his sleeves.

"You know what? You're right. I can't just sit around all day being a lazy bum. If I want to get stronger, I need to put in the effort to improve. Thank you for teaching me that Bastion." Jaden said sincerely, before adding less seriously, "Even though you had to sniff my gym strip to figure this out."

"No problem." Bastion deadpanned.

"But this duel is not over yet," Jaden's hand flew across his face, drawing Miracle Fusion. It was just what he needed, "I activate Miracle Fusion! I banish Bubbleman, Avian, and Sparkman in my graveyard to fusion summon Elemental Hero Tempest!"

A winged hero with a cobalt visor over its face and blue armor spread its wings. (ATK 2800/DEF 2800)

"Wait to turn things around Jay!" Mindy cheered.

"When was Sparkman and Bubbleman sent to the graveyard?" Syrus asked.

"They were when Jaden used Card Trooper's effect." Midori told him.

"That was something." Alexis smiled. It seemed like Jaden always found a way to turn things around.

"I knew you'd find an alternate way to summon your fusion monsters, so I prepared this." Bastion activated De-Fusion, "Tempest returns to your extra deck, and you special summon its fusion materials from your graveyard. But you banished the fusion material monsters with Miracle Fusion, so they are no longer in your grave. Thus, you are left with nothing."

"You even countered Miracle Fusion. As frustrating as it is to have all my moves countered like that, I have to admit that you're truly a strong duelist." Jaden grinned, "I will get stronger."

"I look forward to dueling you again after you have." Bastion smiled ever so slightly. He wanted to see Jaden at his best. It was yet another challenge he would have to overcome.

"I use Necroshade's effect in the graveyard to summon Elemental Hero Bladeedge from my hand!" A warrior made of golden blades emerged on top of the sand.

"That's the same combo he used against me." Alexis recalled, impressed with how even though his fusion monster had been neutralized Jaden managed to find yet another way to turn the duel around.

"Let me guess? He sent Necroshade to the grave with Card Trooper's effect." Syrus deducted.

"That's right." Midori beamed at how Jaden hadn't given up yet. He kept trying to find a way. Jaden never gave up when it came to dueling; if he could just put in the work when he wasn't dueling, she was excited to see how strong he would become.

"Bladeedge, attack Oxygeddon!" The warrior blasted towards the pterodactyl, as it prepared to slice it into pieces.

"You're not the only one who can activate card effects from the graveyard." Bastion smirked, "I activate Skill Successor from the grave. By banishing it, my Oxygeddon gains 800 attack points to match your Bladeedge."

The two monsters ended up destroying each other.

"Amazing…" Jaden awed. He was being completely outclassed, but he couldn't help but appreciate how well Bastion had prepared to beat him.

Jaden only had Burstinatrix in his hand, while Bastion only had Red Ogre in his. They both only had one monster card in their hands, but Bastion had one card on his field while Jaden had zero. Hydroggedon stood in front of Jaden, eagerly waiting to end the duel on Bastion's next turn.

"I'll end my turn." Jaden conceded. He was glad that he had met Bastion, despite how much of an oddball the boy was. If he didn't, he wouldn't have never tasted humility.

Bastion drew Water Dragon, not that it mattered. "Hydrogeddon end this."

Jaden lowered his head, accepting his first defeat at the academy. Even though he had lost, the smile on his face remained. He would get stronger.

Bastion 4000

Jaden 0

* * *

 **There you have it. I know I said that I'd answer questions on this chapter from the reviews, but there didn't seem to be any questions so that's that. I don't know when the next chapter will be up but I hope it takes no more than a week. I know I said this chapter would be short, but it took longer than I expected. I don't know how long my next chapter will be, but I think it will be as long as this one or maybe even shorter.**

 **I know I made Bastion way different, but I hope you guys don't think that he's just there for comic relief. He's very competent despite his awkward quirks, and will develop.**

 **Enjoy the rest of your weekends, and as always tell me what I can improve on for the next chapter!**


	5. Rising

**Here's the latest chapter. Thanks for all of your support. I don't take it for granted at all! It was pretty difficult to get this chapter done, because of my schedule this week, but I hope you enjoy it.**

 **I will be addressing any questions you might have had at the end of the chapter.**

 **Don't forget to review, and I hope the next chapter will be up in no more than a week.**

* * *

Syrus was not on speaking terms with his brother.

They were polar opposites. His older brother, Zane Truesdale, was the best duelist at the academy. His brother was going to be a professional duelist next year, and he was already getting offers from many different sponsors. He was always at the top of his class. He was composed and always knew what to say. The school worshiped the ground that the Obelisk walked on; their parents were proud of him.

As for him, he was probably one of the worst duelists at the academy. He hadn't passed a single test this year, because he cracked under test anxiety. He was socially awkward, and easily nervous. The school would always compare him to his brother and laugh at how pathetic he was. Even though he shared the same blood as Zane Truesdale, he couldn't even get out of Slifer Red. Their parents would always pity him, babying the Slifer even over the littlest things.

So when Zane had asked Syrus if they could have dinner together via text message, the younger boy was expectantly surprised. He couldn't remember the last time his brother had texted him, or even talked to him for that matter.

They would usually exchange words when Zane came back home from the island for the holidays. Their conversations consisted mostly of greetings and small-talk. There was nothing beyond that. Syrus couldn't relate to his brother, and Zane couldn't relate to him. The Slifer didn't know how it felt like to be revered, while Zane didn't know how it felt to be treated like trash.

They couldn't understand each other, and this was why Zane chose to shun him.

* * *

Syrus was always bullied in middle school. His bullies were kind enough, and always gave him the opportunity to defend himself through dueling. If he lost, which he always did, they would knock him senseless, make him drink toilet water, hang his underwear into a flag pole, or a combination of the three. It depended on how badly he lost.

It wasn't like their dueling skills were miles ahead of Syrus's; he would sometimes get the chance to win, but he would choke under pressure and play the wrong cards at the wrong time.

So when his brother gave him the card 'Power Bond' for his birthday, he was confident that this powerful card would end his misery and finally bring him victory against the bullies. He was a bit too confident that he'd win, and that was his first mistake.

He could've won without using Power Bond.

Yet, he decided to toy with his opponent and used the card anyways. His timing was completely off, and he ended up paying for it. Power Bond had a dangerous side effect that Syrus wasn't aware of, and ended up paying dearly. He would have got pummeled to death by his bullies, since he lost, but his brother intervened at the last minute.

Zane had been watching the duel from afar, and he was mad at Syrus. It wasn't that Syrus was a weak duelist; he could have easily won that duel. Zane knew that Syrus could be better, and he was disappointed that his little brother wasn't living up to his potential by letting his emotions get the best of him.

Syrus got too excited at the prospect of victory, and decided to toy with his opponents. He had let this excitement get the best of him.

He had told his older brother that he could not control his emotions. It wasn't that easy. He did get excited too easily, and at times he would get scared too easily. It was just who he was. He wasn't his brother. He wasn't flawless like Zane was. He was a wimp, and he couldn't change that.

He had tried to explain this to Zane, but the older Truesdale wouldn't have any of it. Instead, Zane refused to talk to Syrus after that day, leaving him with the cold words that still lingered in his memory.

"I know we're different, but you don't even try to control your emotions. You don't try to change, Syrus. That's why you're too weak."

* * *

They had decided to meet up at a hamburger joint on the island. The joint was known as Burger World, and it was a famous franchise in Japan.

The island had a few restaurants in the small square located at its center; Burger World happened to be one of these restaurants. Even though the food wasn't free like it was in the dormitories, this small square of restaurants and shops allowed students from different dorms to eat together, and try a variety of foods that were different from those at the dorms.

The first thing Syrus saw when he entered Burger World was his cold, emotionless face. He sat in a booth, wearing his white Obelisk jacket. His shoulder length, layered blue hair covered bits of his face, as he coolly lifted a hand at him to acknowledge his presence.

The Slifer nervously walked towards the booth. It had been a while since they had talked to each other, and he was worried that his brother was still angry with him for misusing 'Power Bond,' back in the day.

"Hey Syrus," His brother smiled at him, as Syrus approached the booth. It wasn't the toothiest of grins, but there was a faint curve to his lips, "It's been a while."

"Z-z-zane? I-is that really you?"

The older boy shook his head, "Of course it is you idiot. Can't you even recognize your own brother?"

"S-sorry!" Syrus bowed his head, shaking nervously. He supposed that it was pretty stupid of him to ask Zane that. It was the first time in a while that he was talking to his brother and he was off to a terrible start.

"Stop stammering. It makes you sound like you don't have any confidence in yourself," Zane asserted. Syrus worried him at times. The boy was too mentally fragile, "Well? Are you going to just stand there or take a seat?"

"I-I'm sorry again! I'll take a seat, if that's what you want. T-that's what you want isn't it? If you don't want me to, I can leave and let you enjoy your meal alone in peace!" Syrus tried to explain himself. He was slightly intimidated by his brother's tone. Even so, he knew that Zane meant well, despite his callous tone. It was just how his brother communicated with him; it had been that way since they were little.

"Just take a seat," Zane sighed. He thought to himself, 'He's clueless.'

Syrus decided that he shouldn't question his brother anymore, and sat on the red vinyl padding of the booth bench. He looked away from Zane, afraid to meet his eyes; he faced the window at the end of the booth. "S-so why did you want to meet here?"

"I just wanted to enjoy a meal with my little brother." Zane breathed, before his expression softened, "It's on me."

Syrus grinned meekly. Maybe Zane decided to forget about how Syrus had lost to the bully back then, and fix their broken relationship.

"How is the academy treating you?" Zane asked his younger brother. He hadn't had a chance to talk to his brother about his new life at the academy. Mostly because he was busy with school and preparing for his future as a professional duelist. The older Truesdale liked to keep himself busy; he had lost two of his best friends the year before, and he wanted to keep his mind distracted from such depressing matters.

"It's not terrible actually. I don't get bullied like I did in middle school, and I made new friends. Life's a lot more exciting too." Syrus recalled how he had made good friends in Chumley and Jaden. Despite how much of a dumbass Chumley and Jaden could be at times, they accepted Syrus for who he was and would never make him feel overly uncomfortable.

His friends meant a lot to him, and so he was understandably angry when a Ra Yellow, Bastion Misawa, claimed that he was too socially awkward to have friends. Bastion labelled Chumley as imaginary, and claimed that Jaden only tolerated Syrus's presence.

His life was a lot more exciting too, even though he didn't know if it was for better or for worse. He had done things that he never imagined that a coward like himself would end up doing. Syrus had broken the off-hour arena dueling, when he went to the duel arena after midnight to watch Jaden duel Chazz. He had ventured to the outdoor bath of the girls' dorm, because he thought that Alexis wanted to go skinny dipping with him. At the end he just made a fool out of himself. He flushed at that experience in embarrassment.

"That's good to hear." Zane nodded at the Slifer, "It's very important to hold on to friends that matter to you, because you never know what will happen to them."

Syrus could detect a hint of sadness in Zane's voice, but he brushed this aside. He couldn't see how Zane could experience sadness. His life seemed so perfect.

"Yeah, and for the first time in my life I feel like I'm having fun." Syrus added. He was glad that he had met his friends.

"Right," Zane asserted calmly, "It looks like you've grown up a lot, Sy."

The Slifer beamed at his brother's remark. He couldn't believe it. Was his brother actually complimenting him? His brother was usually so reserved with his words.

"Uh, Z-zane?"

"Yes?" Zane answered slowly. His brother was stammering again, which wasn't a good sign. He knew his brother; Syrus would only stammer when he was about to say something stupid.

"I'm sorry I misused Power Bond and lost the duel against that bully." Syrus said sheepishly, expecting his brother to grow irritated at the memory or even get mad at him for randomly bringing it up.

"It's okay." Zane answered without a trace of anger in his voice. It had pained him to see his brother being terrorized by his bullies, and all Zane wanted was for Syrus to stand up for himself. Syrus had a good chance to do just that by winning, but he decided to let his emotions get the best of him. "I shouldn't have got mad at you, and shunned you for that. You were probably just as disappointed as I was since you're the one who lost."

"Yeah…"Syrus responded, grateful that his brother wasn't still angry with him.

"I know you're a good duelist Syrus, but you can't duel with your emotions." Zane explained, "I hope you understand that now."

Syrus nodded, as the two of them sat their in silence, not knowing what to say next.

"Can I be honest with you?" Syrus said after a while, to which Zane nodded in response. "I'm not a good duelist Zane. I'm in Slifer Red, and I haven't passed a single test this year, because I always crack under test anxiety."

Zane remained silent, as his expression stiffened. He clenched his fists underneath the table between them, breathing slowly. His brows furrowed in concern, as his blue eyes looked directly into Syrus.

"It's frustrating, since you could do a lot better, but I guess as long as you get your grades up in the next month you will be fine," Zane sighed, "Failing tests isn't really problematic in your first year, unless you end up failing the course, or you end up accumulating too many zeros."

"How many zeros?" Syrus questioned nervously.

"Syrus…Please tell me you didn't get a zero on any of your tests" Zane inhaled, as he waited for his brother to disappoint him.

"I can't! I got a zero on three of my tests!" Syrus wailed, "I can't deal with test anxiety, and it's killing me, Zane!"

"Three?! Are you kidding me? You already have that much? It's only the first month of school, and you're already walking on thin ice, Sy," Zane grit his teeth in frustration, "The rule is that if you get zeroes on four of your tests means that you're expelled. One more zero and you're out of here!"

Syrus buried his head in his hands, as he refused to meet his brother's eyes, realizing what this meant for him. One more zero would mean that he would have to leave Jaden and Chumley. He would have to say farewell to the only friends he had in his life, and he would be all alone again.

His brother would be disappointed in him more than he was now if he managed to get himself expelled. He could sense frustration seethe through his brother's veins, as Zane shook his head in disbelief.

"How can you call yourself a duelist if you're so weak?!" Zane hissed, "You shouldn't crack under pressure like that. How fucking hard is it for you to just concentrate and control your emotions?"

Syrus buried his head deep into his hands, as he struggled to breath. He was shaking hysterically, as he could feel how quickly his heart was beating in an attempt to make the pain and humiliation go away.

The two of them said no more, as they spent the rest of the night in silence. Zane had paid for dinner like he promised, and they both ate quietly.

Syrus had never tasted fries so bland.

* * *

The night before went terribly for Syrus. He should have never mentioned that he hadn't passed a single test this year. It was only reasonable that Zane would be disappointed. Before that, things were going so well. They were getting along just fine, until he decided to blow it.

Zane even forgave him for losing to that bully back then. He even complimented Syrus, which was something he had never done before.

Yet, after Syrus had revealed that he was one test away from getting expelled, it was like their relationship had snapped in half. There was large void between the two brothers, and it would only grow larger if Syrus managed to get himself expelled.

He couldn't sleep at night. His thoughts were consumed by his brother's voice.

" _That's why you're too weak."_

" _How can you call yourself a duelist if you're so weak?"_

 _How fucking hard is it for you to just concentrate and control your emotions?"_

Syrus felt pathetic. He was helpless to do anything, and it felt like he was drowning in his emotions. He worried about failure. He was worried about what his brother would think of him if he failed.

As he continued to worry into the next morning, he realized that Zane was right. He was too weak. He was sleepless; because he had spent the whole night worrying. He would probably get a zero on the next test, as well, because he would break down under all this stress. He was so fragile, and he couldn't control his emotions.

It wasn't like he could help it though. It was difficult for him. He couldn't control his emotions just because he wanted to.

All these thoughts ran through Syrus's head, as he walked through the gym locker room. He barely managed to keep his legs moving. He had no energy left in him. Not only did the Slifer have a sleepless night, but he also had to run laps for gym class.

He was so tired that he could close his eyes, and fall asleep standing. He reminded himself to get some coffee in his veins, before he actually ended up passing out. Syrus's surroundings were blurry, and he couldn't see the boy in the Obelisk Blue jacket walking in front of him.

They collided, causing Syrus's glasses to fall off his nose.

"Hey, watch where you're going you Slifer scum?" The boy had spiky brown hair and glared at Syrus with his brown eyes.

"I-I a-a-apologize. I-I'm just s-so tired. I-I don't want to cause a-any trouble…" Syrus quickly fell on his knees, scrambling for his glasses."

"Hey, aren't you that kid who got a zero on the card mechanics test?" The boy scoffed, as Syrus cringed, gritting his teeth together. Of course, the boy would know. The whole school knew that he had got a zero on the card mechanics test after professor Crowler mocked him for it in front of his whole class. "Didn't Crowler say your name was Syrus Truesdale? Say, does your brother happen to be Zane Truesdale?"

"Y-yep that's me." Syrus chuckled sheepishly, as he reached for his glasses. His expression then changed to one of pain, as the boy kicked his wrist. The Slifer howled in pain, holding on to his wrist with his other hand.

After the pain on his wrist began to subside, he reached for his glasses with his other hand. This time, the sole of the boy's foot landed on Syrus's forehead. The foot pressed forward, pushing Syrus back. The back of his head landed hard on the ground, as Syrus felt his teeth clack together.

"That's surprising. I didn't think that Zane's little brother would be a useless, stammering loser." The boy snickered, kicking Syrus on the stomach. The Slifer's face twisted, as he held his breath. He couldn't let the boy hear him scream. That's what he wanted. That's what they all wanted. He had dealt with his share of bullies.

Syrus pretended to ignore him, even though he found truth in the boy's words. He reached for his glasses once again, only for the boy to kick Syrus straight on the face.

His lips burst open as the shoe collided with them, causing blood to trickle down his neck. Syrus remained still. He couldn't risk reaching for his glasses again; the boy would make him suffer.

"I feel bad for your brother, man. Imagine what he has to go through." The boy laughed almost maliciously, "You always disappoints him. He's the best duelist in the school, and yet you're just plain trash. You're a socially awkward wreck, and you can't even stand up for himself."

The boy proceeded to emphasize how Syrus couldn't stand up for himself by kicking the Slifer in the groin, causing Syrus to wince. His face grew hot in pain, as it took everything within him to hold in a shriek of pain.

Syrus bit his bleeding lips, causing more blood to trickle down his skin. He panted heavily, as he struggled to catch his breath. He wanted to break down, and give into the tears that were forming in his eyes.

He wasn't normally disturbed by trash talk, but the boy made him feel so helpless. There was nothing but truth in his words, and the truth hurt. Zane was always disappointed in him, he wasn't even half the duelist his brother was, and he was powerless to stand up for himself.

"Oh, cheer up. I mean things can be worse." A sadistic grin formed on the boy's face all of a sudden, "I mean you could be blind."

The boy held his foot over Syrus's glasses, as he licked his lips with his tongue slowly.

"P-please don't…" Syrus begged, as the tears that he held back began to slip out. He thought that Duel Academy changed him. He had met new friends, who accepted him for who he was. However, this didn't change how he would always be in his brother's shadow, as nothing but a useless reject.

A white and red blur, then tackled the boy on to the ground, as Syrus could hear the boy screaming in pain.

"Who do you think you are?" The boy growled, "Get off me!"

Syrus put his glasses back on his nose, seeing how Chumley had pinned the Obelisk on to the ground, and was senselessly smacking the boy on the face.

"You messed with the wrong Slifer, buddy." Chumley said, continuing to beat the boy into a pulp.

"Do you know who you're dealing with you Slifer scum? I'm Raizou Mototani. I'm a junior national championship finalist! I'll have you expelled for this!" Raizou spat on Chumley's face, as the Obelisk began to gasp for air.

Chumley just laughed. He was enjoying this? The koala shaped boy then leaned closer to Raizou, as a smirk fell on his face. "You wouldn't want to do that to me, would you now?"

The older Slifer then cracked his knuckles casually, causing Raizou to gulp, as the Obelisk began to shake ever so slightly.

"Fucking snob." Chumley snorted, letting go of his grip on the boy, "Run along, before I decide to send you to the Domino City Hospital."

Raizou scowled, clenching his fists, as he walked away from the Slifer. He was seething with rage. How dare that oaf of a Slifer make a fool out of him? He would make him suffer.

* * *

"Thanks for sticking up for me, Chumley," Syrus expressed, as he washed his blood-stained face at the locker room sink.

"No problem, Sy. It was fun! I used to get in scraps with my dad all the time. I kind of missed it." Chumley laughed heartily, causing Syrus to frown. Who in the right mind would get into a full out fist brawl with their father and enjoy it? Regardless, he made a mental note to never pick a fight with Chumley. He was beating the shit out of that Obelisk.

Not that he would ever get the chance to pick a fight with Chumley. If he got a zero on his next test, he would be on the next boat out of here. Syrus turned off the sink, glancing at the mirror one last time to check for any remaining blood stains. He then lowered his head dejectedly, sighing deeply.

"Chumley, you told me that were held back from graduating last year. I know you have another chance to graduate this year, but aren't you afraid that you'll be held back again?" Syrus asked, trying to parallel his situation with Chumley's. He figured that since Chumley had failed before; he was desperate not to fail again. It was the same for him. He had got three zeros before, so he was desperate and afraid to get another zero.

"Well, first of all Sy I won't be held back again this year." Chumley asserted confidently, "Because if I don't graduate this time, I'll get expelled. They let you go if you can't graduate in the extra year that they give you. That sucks for me, but I'm showing up to class these days, so I hope it pays off at the end."

Syrus was taken aback. Their situations were shockingly similar. They were both at the verge of expulsion. They had both failed in the past. They needed to turn things around by improving their grades. The only difference was that Syrus was more nervous about his future than Chumley was.

He was afraid to fail, while Chumley didn't seem too bothered about the situation.

"I guess that makes the two of us. I got a zero on three of my tests, so if I get a fourth zero I'll get expelled and be on the next boat home."

"That's surprising. You pull so many all-nighters to study for tests. I'm surprised it hasn't paid off." Chumley said with a hint of concern in his voice.

"It should pay off, but I'm always too tired to focus on tests." Syrus explained.

"Why don't you just sleep then?" Chumley asked.

"Because then I won't know enough for the exams." Syrus cried in an exasperated tone, before taking a number of deep breaths to calm himself down. He continued, "How can you stay so calm, when you could get expelled if you don't graduate?"

"I mean it's not that big of a deal. It's not like whether I graduate or not determines what I'm worth. I'm awesome either way, and so are you! Don't even fuss about it, Sy. In fact, I know just the thing that will get your mind off all this." Chumley grinned, "I'll give you a hint; it's something fun!"

Syrus gulped. He was quite terrified. He didn't exactly know what Chumley meant by 'fun.' The younger Slifer was pretty sure that the two of them had very different ideas on what was 'fun.' Chumley thought that wrestling his dad was 'fun.' Syrus would rather stare at a wall all than wrestle anyone. It could break his bones.

"As long as it doesn't involve wrestling," Syrus added warily.

"Don't be silly! If we wrestle, you won't be able to walk for the next few months." Chumley assured him, "We're doing something else. It's something I don't do often, so count your blessings, Sy!"

Whatever it was, Syrus just hoped he wouldn't end up breaking all his limbs by the end of the day.

* * *

Jaden shook his head. This just wouldn't do.

He had his deck spread across in front of him, and he was trying to come up with different strategies than the ones he would always rely on. He figured that this way he would have more options when he dueled. Overall, it wasn't going so well.

At this rate, he would never beat Bastion. The day before, Bastion had challenged him to a duel, claiming that he had watched and analyzed Jaden's past duels, and created a deck to neutralize the Slifer's strategies.

The Ra Yellow had also pranced around his room, and even sniffing his gym strip. Jaden found it very disturbing, and he didn't think that he would ever get over it. Even so, Bastion had managed to beat him. On top of that, he hadn't lost a single life-point.

Bastion had pointed out how lazy Jaden was; the Slifer only relied on his talent to win, and didn't put in the effort to improve. There was truth in his words. Jaden enjoyed dueling, but he never pushed himself to get better.

That's why he had currently locked himself up in his own room, trying to come up with different dueling strategies. He had even got Midori to help him.

She was unwilling to hep him at first, because she was still mad at him for putting a beach crab into her tank top, and laughing at her reaction afterwards. She said that she was only helping Jaden, because he was so pathetic that it was pitiable. Jaden didn't argue. He needed all the help he could get. He couldn't even dent Bastion's life-points.

It was truly a humbling experience.

"Are you just going to sit there, or what?" Jaden asked Midori, who was laying on the bottom bunk of his bed playing on his Game Boy Color.

"Are you ever going to beat this game?" She spat back, as she rolled on the mattress, trying get in a more comfortable position.

"Fine, be that way." Jaden went back to the cards on his table. He didn't care if Midori wanted to act like a child.

"I don't get why I should help you. You're the one who lost." She smirked, causing Jaden to wince. She was really good at getting under his nerves whenever she was mad at him.

"Midori, I said I'm sorry! Plus, you're the one who called me pathetic, and you said you would help me." Jaden expressed in frustration. What was with her? He had apologized more times than he could count. She was the one who agreed to help him. Did she lie about helping him just to let him down?

"I can't really help you, since you suck Jaden," She cooed, as Jaden's shoulders tensed up. He bawled his hands into fists. She was really getting under his skin.

"I told you I'm sorry!" Jaden cried in an exasperated tone.

"I heard you the first time. I'm not deaf, but it seems like you are. I said I can't really help you, since you suck. I can't help you Jaden. You suck so much that you're beyond repair," She asserted, as Jaden bit his lips fiercely, trying to contain his restlessness. "I guess you can start by paying attention to the face-down spell and trap cards your opponent sets down. They're not just there to decorate the field, and you can't just ignore them."

"What am I supposed to do then?" Jaden asked, relieved that Midori was finally giving him some form of advice. He knew he could rely on her to help him with dueling. She was the best duelist he knew. The headmistress had even beaten her all-star brother Koyo Hibiki more times than the pro had beaten her.

"Well, first of all, maybe you should thank me for giving you advice," Midori sassed.

"Maybe you should have helped me in the first place, instead of telling me that I suck at dueling." Jaden pouted, as his headmistress stuck out her tongue at the Slifer in response.

"I guess I could have," She trailed, before a grin formed across her face, "But I like watching you squirm."

Jaden groaned, rolling his eyes at how petty Midori could be at times. She just giggled at this.

"Thanks for the advice, I guess," Jaden mumbled, "But, can you _please_ explain to me what I'm supposed to do after I notice that my opponent has face-down cards on their field?"

She raised her eyebrows in response to the boy, "Am I hearing things or is Jaden Yuki actually saying 'please,' for once?"

"Why does it matter?" Jaden growled at how Midori avoided his question. Couldn't she just get on with it? Why did she care how he phrased his question?

Her expression brightened, as Midori thought of her most brilliant idea yet. He was at her mercy, and there were so many things she could do to him. "Do you want me to answer your question?"

"Yes!" Jaden breathed heavily between gritted teeth.

"Jay, if you want me to answer your question, get down on your knees," She grinned cheekily.

"I'm not your slave!" Jaden complained, his heart itching in irritation.

"Okay, I guess I won't help you then, and you'll never win against Bastion," Her words got under his skin again, as Jaden grew more restless; he just wanted to scream at her.

"I don't need your help. I'll just beat him on my own." Jaden said, wincing.

"By doing what? Staring at your deck all day?" Jaden let out a grunt of frustration, as he dropped to his knees.

"Now what?" He added grumpily.

"Massage my feet." She shifted into a sitting position, placing the Game Boy at her side and sticking out her feet at the boy. Jaden wanted to lash out, but the look in her caramel eyes warned him against it. He looked at her soft, wrinkly feet, grimacing at the sight. "They're not going to massage themselves!"

Jaden started to rub his hands against them, groaning his way through it. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

She laughed at his remark, before following up on her advice, "Obviously, you can't predict all of your opponent's face-down cards, but you can do things to prepare for what they could be hiding. Make sure you don't waste all your cards by committing to just one battle phase. It normally takes a lot more than one battle phase to win a duel, so have some cards lying around in your hand or on the field that you can use if your attacks fail."

Jaden listened intently; it didn't seem like Midori was in the mood to repeat herself. She wasn't wrong though. Too often, he would ignore his opponent's face-down cards, and he would blatantly attack, without considering what he would do if his attack failed.

Her advice was very insightful, and he would definitely consider it the next time he dueled. She didn't have to make him pay for her advice with a foot massage though.

"Oh that feels good." She let out, as Jaden just shook his head.

"I hope this makes up for me putting a crab in your shirt," Jaden said bitterly.

"Actually, it'll take a lot more than that Yuki," She replied, crossing her arms. Jaden couldn't believe it. He apologized to her countless times. He even gave up his pride and got down on his knees to massage her freaking feet. Sure, she had given him advice on dueling, but it was only a small tidbit. What more did he have to do?

"Come on! We're even!" Jaden moaned, not thinking he could take anymore.

"Listen up Jaden Yuki." Midori said, smiling ever so slightly, "We'll never ever be even."

* * *

"This is your idea of fun?!" Syrus yelled in disbelief. He expected this from Jaden, not the guy who spent all of his free time lying in bed.

"It has been a while, and I thought you liked to duel," Chumely responded.

"Not really!" Syrus shot back. Dueling was just too much pressure. He was afraid that he would mess up and make a fool of himself.

"Then, why the hell are you still at this school?" Chumely reasoned. Most of the students at the academy attended because they liked to duel or because they were good at it. In some cases, it was both. Syrus didn't necessarily seem like a good duelist. He was, like Chumley, only in Slifer. The koala shaped boy figured that Syrus would at least enjoy dueling.

Syrus considered this. Why did he decide to attend Duel Academy in the first place? "I've been dueling for a long time, okay? My parents didn't want all those hours to go to waste and made me apply to the school. It's not like you enjoy dueling either. You spend half the day in bed!"

"Hey, just because I'm lazy it doesn't mean I don't like to duel. I love to duel, and I love cards with sweet designs. When I graduate, I want to be a card designer for Industrial Illusions." Chumely declared, before chuckling sheepishly, "I mean if I graduate."

Syrus held in a laugh. He couldn't imagine Chumley being a card designer, and it was more far-fetched imagining the chubby boy in a suit, working for one of the biggest companies in the world. It was surprising to find out how the sluggish Slifer had goals and ambitions of his own, although it was unlikely Chumley would get around to achieving them.

The younger Slifer looked down at the rocky shore they were standing on. The sound of the waves quietly crashing against the rocks rang through the air. The rocky shore was beneath a tall cliff that faced the great sea.

Was dueling worth all this fuss? On one hand, Syrus wanted to stay at the academy. He had enjoyed great times here, and had met some incredibly loyal friends. That's why he didn't want get a zero on his next test. On the other hand, maybe it was for the best if he got a zero. He was probably the worst duelist at the school, and he hated dueling. It was too much pressure, and it would overwhelm him emotionally. If he made a mistake, which he always did, people would mock him for being so so weak, even though his brother was so strong. He would only continue to disappoint his brother if he kept messing up and losing duels.

He had only come to the academy, because his parents wanted him to continue dueling. But, maybe they would understand if he wanted to quit. They were always worried that Syrus wasn't good enough to compete with other duelists his age, so maybe they would be relieved if he quit; they didn't need to worry about him getting his ass handed to him anymore.

That was his dilemma. Did he want to keep dueling and spending time with his friends at the academy, or did he want to quit and relieve himself from all the stress that dueling could cause him?

Perhaps this duel would decide for him.

"Let's just get this duel over with," Syrus asserted, as both the Slifers' duelists extended on their arms.

Chumley 4000

Syrus 4000

Chumley grinned. He was glad that Syrus had taken him up on his offer to duel. He was worried about how stressed his friend was getting, and he hoped that this duel would help Syrus's confidence. If Syrus beat him, maybe the younger boy would grow more confident in his abilities.

That didn't mean Chumley would hold back. He couldn't afford to. He wasn't a very good duelist, and needed to do everything he could to be a competitive opponent. If he went easy on Syrus, the younger boy might feel disrespected.

Syrus added the top card of his deck to his hand, before studying it: Gyroid, Steamroid, Submarineroid, Expressroid, Cycroid, and Ring of Destruction.

"I summon Cycroid in attack mode!" An orange bicycle, with fists at the end of its handle bars, and an eye at the center of the head tube rolled into action. (ATK 800/DEF 1000)

"That's it for now." Syrus wasn't sure if this was the best move he could have made in this situation, but he assured himself it was only the first turn. He didn't need to make any crazy plays just yet.

Chumley drew and examined his hand which consisted of Big Koala, Des Kangaroo, Des Koala, Des Wombat, The Big March of Animals, and The Shallow Grave.

"I summon Des Kangaroo in attack mode!" A muscular green kangaroo in a purple vest and red boxing gloves bobbed around in front of Chumley. (ATK 1500/DEF 1700)

"Attack!" The kangaroo's fists collided with with Cycroid, shattering the bicycle into pieces.

Chumley 4000

Syrus 3300

"Now, I'll end my turn. How's that Sy?"Chumley grinned at him. He did well this turn; he was winning. "Show you me what you've got!"

Syrus grit his teeth together. He was losing, and it was his fault. If he summoned a monster that had higher attack points than Des Kangaroo, he wouldn't have taken any damage. What if this mistake was the one that cost him the duel?

The blue-haired boy drew Ambulanceroid.

"I summon Submarineroid in attack mode." Syrus declared as a royal blue submarine with eyes planted at the front glared at Chumley. (ATK 800/DEF 1800)

"If you don't have a monster with more attack points than my monster, try putting it in defense mode next time. That way you won't take damage." Chumley advised Syrus.

That wasn't his intention. "Thanks to its special effect Submarineroid can attack you directly!"

Chumley 3200

Syrus 3300

"When Submarineroid attacks, I can change him into defense mode!" Syrus couldn't help but feel excited. He was actually winning. Maybe he wasn't as terrible as he thought.

His newfound optimism was suddenly drenched with doubt. It was too good to be true. Was Chumley just a bad duelist? Was he just lucky, and would he end up losing to Chumley at the end once his luck ran out? Syrus's eyes trailed on to his hand, which trembled with his heart. His emotions were taking over.

"That was sweet, Sy! You're a great duelist." Chumley said genuinely. Syrus had made a great move, and Chumley wasn't sure how he could turn the duel around.

"You sound just like Jaden," Syrus commented, as Chumley chuckled in response, "I guess it's your turn now."

Chumley's next card was Michizure.

"I set a monster face-down, and set a face-down card, then end my turn." Chumley placed Des Koala and Michizure face-down. Des Koala was one of his favorites.

The younger Slifer then drew Polymerization into his hand, before his heart pounded against his shirt in worry. Chumley's face-down monster could be anything. It was face-down, meaning Syrus wasn't aware of what kind of monster it was. What if it was too strong for him to handle?

Unbeknownst to Syrus and Chumley, Zane Truesdale watched on top of the cliff, with his arms crossed. It would take a lot more than the half-hearted moves that Syrus were making right now to impress him.

"I activate Polymerization to fuse Gyroid and Steamroid to fusion summon Steam Gyroid!" A train with helicopter wings appeared in front of Syrus. (ATK 2200/DEF 1600)

"Steam Gyroid, huh? That's one heck of a monster. You're a lot better than I expected Syrus. The way you put it you made it sound like you were the worst duelist at the school!" Chumley was impressed. It seemed that Syrus was a better duelist than he let on.

Syrus would always bring himself down, and was overly pessimistic about everything. It was as if the boy hated himself, and believed that he was a trash duelist. So far, Syrus was completely outplaying him, and it seemed like the boy should take more pride in his dueling skills.

"Thanks!" Syrus beamed. Maybe he wasn't terrible. He was playing really good up to now, but then a disturbing thought struck him.

What if Chumley was the worst duelist in the school? He did fail to graduate, and he seemed too lazy to ever spend his time polishing his dueling skills. If Syrus did win, it would prove that he wasn't the worst duelist in the school, but there was a possibility that he could be the second worst. On the other hand, losing could mean that he was the worst!

He felt anxiety rising within him, as he trembled fiercely.

"I'll change Submarineroid to attack mode. Attack directly!" The submarine submerged into the soil, before emerging in front of Chumley's face, as the hologram collided into the older boy, "It'll change to defense mode, since it attacked."

Chumley 2400

Syrus 3300

"Steam Gyroid will attack Des Kangaroo!" The machine collided with the kangaroo, as the mammal cried in pain.

"Reverse card open!" Chumley exclaimed, "Michizure lets me destroy Steam Gyroid, since Des Kangaroo was just destroyed!"

Chumley 1700

Syrus 3300

Syrus cursed mentally. He just lost the strongest monster on his field. It crushed him, because he thought he had done something right for a change. Yet, it was all for nothing.

"I'll end my turn, Chumley," Syrus sighed, as he stressfully waited for his next turn. He took one last glance at his hand, which consisted of Expressroid, Ambulanceroid, and Ring of Destruction.

"I draw!" Chumley was relieved that he activated Michizure in the nick of time. If he hadn't he would have been screwed; Steam Gyroid would have walked all over him. He looked at Syrus, who had his head hung low, eyes not leaving the ground. Maybe having Steam Gyroid destroyed had deflated his spirits.

"Don't worry Sy! You made a great move. I'm having a hard time keeping up with you!" Chumley said positively, adding Threatening Roar into his hand, "I flip summon Des Koala!"

A brown koala with grass stuck in its mouth and a small pouch on its stomach beat its chest in pride. (ATK 1100/DEF 1800)

"This is my one my favorite monsters, Sy! Thanks to its effect you take 400 damage for each card in your hand." Chumley explained.

Chumley 1700

Syrus 2100

"Oh no!" Syrus shook his head fiercely. He was losing more life-points. If this kept up, they would hit zero sooner than later.

"I normal summon Des Wombat in attack mode!" A grey wombat emerged on the field. (ATK 1600/DEF 300)

"Now, I activate The Big March of Animals! All beast monsters on my field gets 200 attack points for each beast monster on the field until my end phase, which means-" Chumley then held up his fingers, trying to figure out how much more attack points his wombat and koala would gain. It shouldn't have been too hard; they were both beast monsters, "Uh, it means-"

"Des Wombat has 2000 attack points, and Des Koala has 1500!" Syrus cried in exasperation.

"I was getting to that!" Chumley asserted, slightly relieved that Syrus had done the math for him. Math wasn't Chumley's strong point. "My Wombat will attack Submarineroid."

Syrus wanted to scream, as he watched his submarine get dismantled in front of him by the claws of the beast.

"Des Koala, attack Syrus directly!" Syrus froze, as the koala's hologram jumped on him. he fell to his knees. His eyes did not leave the ground, as he tried to catch his breath.

Chumley 1700

Syrus 600

Zane noticed how his brother would freak out every time things didn't go his way. It was rather pathetic. Syrus was too weak. He wasted all his time stressing over minor setbacks; he would never accomplish anything like this.

It wasn't that he resented his brother for being weak. He was more disappointed in Syrus. He knew Syrus had been dueling for a long time, and was a pretty competent duelist. It was just that Syrus let his emotions hold him back. He would break down if he was nervous or stressed.

Syrus had already messed up too much. He had blown his lead against Chumley, and had less than a 1000 life-points left. It was safe to say that things were not looking good for him. He wondered if he should surrender; there was no point in fighting any longer, if Chumley was going to win at the end.

He was foolish for assuming that he was better than Chumley after he made a few good moves. The truth was that he was trash. He, Syrus Truesdale, was the worst duelist at Duel Academy.

"Chumley, I don't want to duel any more. You win." Syrus admitted quietly.

Zane clenched his fists, grumbling under his breath. How could a brother of his just give up so easily? He hadn't even drawn his next card. He wanted to yell at Syrus in rage, revealing his presence to his brother, but Chumley beat him to it.

Chumley's positive demeanor suddenly changed into one of frustration. "You're just going to give up, because you're about to lose?! Is this what you're going to do for your next test? Just give up in the middle of it, because you might get a zero! If that's the case then you don't deserve to stay at this academy!"

Syrus cowered, as he felt Chumley's presence tower over his. Maybe Chumley was right; he didn't deserve to stay. It was great meeting new friends and all, but maybe it was time that he realized that dueling wasn't for him. It was too stressful.

"It's hard Chumley! I don't want to keep dueling, when I know I could lose. In this case, I know I'm going to lose!" Syrus cried.

"Don't you have any pride? You're telling me that you would be okay if you lost to me. You would be okay with losing to the worst duelist in the school?" Chumley continued.

"You're not the worst duelist in the school, Chumley! I am!" Syrus whimpered, as his knees were buckled on to the ground. He didn't have the will to stand up.

"Maybe you are Syrus. Maybe you are the worst duelist in the whole damn school, but that doesn't mean you should give up. You should at least try to get better." Chumley barked, as his shoulders tensed up in rage.

"I do try! I'm just not good enough!" Syrus argued.

"That's bullshit: absolute bullshit. If you weren't good enough, I would have beaten you by now. You dominated the first half of this duel Syrus. If I wasn't so lucky, you would have wrapped it up by now. You just decided to break down, because things weren't going your way." Chumley hollered, "You have to be stronger mentally!"

"But, I'm weak Chumley…It's just who I am. I'm always the guy who gets bullied at the playground. I'm the loner with social issues! I'm the shit duelist who never lived up to my brother's name." Syrus closed his eyes, trying to fight back tears. Why was he so fragile?

"You don't have to be in your brother's shadow. Just be yourself. Just be Syrus Truesdale, a nice, caring guy who is always willing to help out his friends, no matter how much his friends annoy him. Jaden and I like you for who you are, and we don't want you to leave the academy. We care about you, and we don't want you to give up on dueling." Chumely asserted confidently.

"I always try to be myself…It's just that I'm a weak person. I care about you guys too, and I'd put myself in danger for you, even if you guys can get under my nerves at times. I don't want to leave you guys, but I don't think that I'm a good enough duelist to stay on this island, "Syrus sighed, his knees feeling even weaker than before.

Zane remained silent, as he watched the exchange between the two. Chumley had taken the words right out of his mouth. A newfound respect for the failed graduate found its place within Zane; Chumley wanted Syrus to keep fighting. He had said everything that Zane had wanted to say himself. It just got under his skin how Syrus still didn't realize his own potential.

"I'm not saying that you'll be good enough if you keep trying, but if you give up you lose everything. The hours you spent dueling and studying, the good times you had with me and Jaden will all mean nothing, so I beg you. Please, don't give up." Chumley pleaded. The older boy had given up on dueling a long time ago. He was too lazy, because he just wasn't good enough. He got so frustrated at his incompetence that he resorted to being lazy, and didn't put in the effort to pass his classes and graduate. Syrus, on the other hand, was different. He was only in his first year, and he was dueling so well against him, who was in his fourth year, "If I thought it was impossible for you to stay at the academy, I would have told you to quit, but you have a chance!"

No one had ever believed in him before. His parents would pity him. His brother was always disappointed in him. Everyone else would treat him like trash. Something sparked within him, as Chumley continued to plead his case. Chumley really wanted him to succeed. He believed in him.

It was nearly a month ago, when they had met in the dorm room. Although Chumley spent most of his time in the third bunk of their bed, they had become friends. Despite Chumley's anger issues, Syrus accepted him. Chumley had stood up for him when Raizou was harassing him. He was almost like his second older brother.

"I just thought that by dueling you. I could help you be more confident in yourself and your dueling skills." Chumley trailed off,"But I guess I made things worse..."

It took a titanic effort, but Syrus managed to stand on his two feet, as he lifted his knees. He was still nervous about messing up and stressed that he could lose, but he could deal with it. For the first time, he could put it to the side, and focus on the duel. Chumley believed in him. He wouldn't back down.

"I draw." Syrus drew Magic Cylinder into his hands. This duel was far from over.

A faint smile formed on Zane's face. He was proud of how he his brother managed to stand back up on his two feet. He had really grown up and found great friends. It made him think about how Atticus and Fuji would always support him.

"I summon Expressroid in defense mode!" A white and blue express train with eyes attached to its front formed on the field. (ATK 400/DEF 1600)

"I activate Expressroid's effect. I can add two 'roid,' monsters from my graveyard to my hand. I choose Gyroid and Steamroid." Syrus was locked in to the duel. He wanted to win. "I'll place two face-downs and end my turn."

He set Magic Cylinder and Ring of Destruction. His hand consisted of Ambulanceroid, Steamroid, and Gyroid.

Chumley smiled, drawing Shield Crush. It looked like there was some life in the boy after all.

"I sacrifice Des Koala and Des Wombat to summon Big Koala!" A giant blue koala stood on the rocky shore. (ATK 2700/DEF 2000)

"After that I activate The Shallow Grave. We both special summon a monster in our grave in defense mode!" Chumley explained.

"I choose Submarineroid," Syrus asserted.

"My choice is Des Wombat," Chumley continued, before chuckling. "I activate Shield Crush, so say goodbye to your submarine!"

Syrus gasped, as Submarineroid was sent to the graveyard. It was a clever move, but it didn't matter. He would end this duel right here and now. He took a glance at his face-down cards.

"Big Koala, attack Expressroid!" Chumley declared, as the grin on his face grew wider. It had been a while since he had this much fun dueling. It had been a while since he put in this much effort into anything.

"I activate my trap Magic Cylinder! Big Koala's attack's negated, and you lose life-points equal to your koala's attack points!" Syrus grinned. He actually did it. He had won.

Chumley 1700

Syrus 600

His life-points remained the same. Something was wrong. Magic Cylinder should have ended the duel.

"Huh? Oh right! Des Wombat's effect makes any damage from a card effect zero!" Chumley let out a sigh of relief.

Syrus froze on the spot, with his mouth wide open, astounded by what had just happened. That was an amazing combo. It was something that he could see Jaden or Chazz pulling off. He didn't expect that level of play from the failed graduate.

Zane frowned. Surely, Chumley didn't mean to do that on purpose. The older boy was one lucky guy. If he had special summoned any other monster using Shallow Grave, he would have lost the duel.

"I'll throw a face-down and end my turn!" Chumley finished quickly, as he set Threatening Roar.

A ray of sunlight then sizzled through the lens of Syrus's glasses. He turned his head to the side, in response to the intense sunlight shining on his eyes. He tilted his head towards the top of the cliff, where he could see his brother watching them.

"Zane?!" Syrus called out, surprised to see the older Truesdale.

His expression was relaxed, and it looked like Zane was smiling. Had he been watching the duel the whole time? Had Zane seen him break down? Had he overheard their conversation?

Zane probably thought that he was the biggest loser, for breaking down just because things weren't going his way. His brother was probably furious with him, but then…Why was he smiling?

"See, you're not a bad duelist Syrus." Zane asserted calmly, "You've been doing great, and it's because your friend helped you deal with your emotions. I'm proud of you for dealing with your emotions."

Syrus felt his heart beat quicker with happiness. Did Zane actually say that he was proud of him?

He could feel nothing but joy, as everything around him brightened. That was all he wanted to hear. He just wanted his brother to respect him. Syrus smiled gratefully at Chumley; he was thankful that Chumley had convinced him not to give up. He felt like he could fly.

The next card he drew was Pot of Greed, and he decided to use it right away. "I activate Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards!"

Syrus then drew Drillroid and Power Bond into his hand. Power Bond was the card that his brother gave him. It would be fitting if he won the duel using that card.

"I activate Power Bond! I fuse Drillroid, Steamroid, Ambulanceroid, and Gyroid in my hand with Expressroid on my field to fusion summon Barbaroid, the Ultimate Battle Machine!" A giant red machine hovered over Chumley. (ATK 8000/DEF 4000)

"8000 attack points?! Who are you and what have you done with Syrus?" Chumley demanded. Summoning a monster with 8000 attack points was something he expected from a professional duelist, not a Slifer Red student! He smirked; it looked like Syrus had it in him the whole time. It was a shame that Chumley was ready for it though. "It's too bad I had this card lying around. I activate Threatening Roar, which stops you from attacking this turn."

Syrus grimaced. He thought he had the duel won. He had even doubled Barbaroid's attack points using Power Bond, but it looked like he was running out of options.

His first option was to end his turn and lose the duel. He had used Power Bond this turn, and it came with a deadly side effect: one that lead to him losing.

His second option was to try and force a draw.

"I activate my trap Ring of Destruction!" Syrus cried. "I destroy Big Koala, and we both take life-points equal to its attack points!"

"It's a draw, then?" Chumley deducted, impressed at Syrus's perseverance, even when he was unable to attack.

"Wrong! Chumley still has Des Wombat on the field, meaning he takes no damage from card effects." Zane cried.

Chumley 1700

Syrus 0

"Great duel, Sy!" Chumley announced, as he could feel sweat rolling down his cheeks. He really needed to get in shape.

"You did great Chumley…but I blew it." Syrus's expression turned into one of sadness. He had managed to summon a monster with 8000 attack points just to lose the duel. Worst of all, his brother had been watching, and had even told him he was proud of him. Zane would probably regret his words, as he just witnessed his brother fail.

"You let your emotions get the best of you again, Sy. You got too excited after I told you I was proud of you, and you completely ignored Des Wombat." Zane scolded in his cold, emotionless voice. He stared at him with the same disappointed blue eyes that he had when Syrus had lost that bully Just as Syrus was about to break down into tears, Zane's expression shifted into a softer one. "But, you put up one hell of a fight."

* * *

Crowler was casually going through his grade-book, when he found something that pleased him. He noticed that two his students had received a zero on three of their exams.

Getting a zero on four exams meant automatic expulsion for a student, which meant that the two students in his gradebook were one zero away from leaving the academy. It delighted him even more that one of these two students was the bane of his existence.

Not only had Jaden Yuki beat him in a duel, but he also humiliated him in front of his own students. He was out to get him expelled for weeks now, and one more zero would guarantee that Jaden would be out of his hair for good.

The other student was Syrus Truesdale, who didn't disturb him as much as Jaden did. Even so, Syrus was friends with Jaden, and the professor couldn't stand the blue-haired boy's constant stammering.

He could make their next tests extremely hard and get them expelled that way, or he could do them one better. He could strike them a deal.

The professor formulated a million ideas in his head, all of which involved Jaden getting humiliated in front of the whole school. It wouldn't do if he simply expelled Jaden for a test score; he needed to completely embarrass the Slifer slacker.

The last time the professor had tried to expose Jaden in front of the whole school, his plan had gone terribly. Jaden's image actually improved, as he beat the three time national champion, Chazz Princeton. He couldn't underestimate Jaden's talent, no matter how much he wanted to.

In a fair duel, Jaden would have a chance of winning, regardless of how strong the opponent was. That's why he had no intention of making things fair.

* * *

"The Paradox Brothers?!" Alexis screamed, "Are you kidding me? You guys are screwed!"

"I think it'll be fun actually." Jaden smirked. He always wanted to duel against a pro duelist, and now he had a chance to duel against two at the same time.

"It's my fault, Alexis," Midori sighed, "I should have just declined Crowler's offer. I didn't know he'd get the Paradox Brothers of all people to duel you two."

"Why do bad things always happen to good people?" Syrus moaned. He shouldn't have agreed to the duel in the first place.

It had been a few days since Syrus's duel with Chumley, and a lot had happened. Zane started to respect Syrus more, despite the older Truesdale claiming that Syrus still had a long way to go. Syrus was still glad that his brother respected him for who he was, and didn't look down on him.

Chancellor Sheppard had left the school, claiming that he had personal business to take care of. This left Midori as the temporary chancellor, much to Crowler's dismay who wanted the position himself. Despite this, Midori was put in charge of the school and had the power to make administrative decisions about things like student expulsions.

Speaking of student expulsions, Crowler had explained to Midori how Jaden and Syrus was one zero away from expulsion; he had proposed a deal. He would excuse all three of the tests that they got a zero on and remove those zeros from the grade-book, if they could beat two opponents of his choice in a tag duel. If they lost, however, they would get automatically expelled from the academy.

The Obelisk headmaster had explained that it would teach Jaden and Syrus teamwork and integrity, which Midori knew was bullshit; Crowler just wanted them out of his life for good. Even so, Midori knew how dumb Jaden was, and thought that they had a better chance winning the tag duel than not getting a zero on the next test.

She had talked to Jaden and Syrus about it, and they agreed to the duel. Jaden figured that he had a better chance winning a duel than getting a question right on a test. Syrus agreed as well; he would have to deal with a lot less pressure if all his tests were excused.

After Midori had told Crowler that her students agreed to the duel, he had revealed their opponents. It wasn't any random duo they were dueling. They were dueling the most well-known professional tag duelists in the world: the Paradox Brothers.

"How are we supposed to beat them?! They're professionals, and I heard they even gave Yugi a hard time back in the day," Syrus slouched into the black couch that Jaden and Alexis were sitting on. They were in the Slifer Red lounge, panicking about the tag duel.

Midori then took a seat on the small wooden table in front of the couch. "It's true they're pros and they did give Yugi a hard time in the Duelist Kingdom tournament, but you have to remember Yugi never dueled competitively before that tournament. Plus, I'd say a pro tag duelist would get destroyed in a one-on-one against an average minor league duelist."

"Even so, an average minor league duelist could probably beat most of students at this school. The minor league is just below the pro league after all! On top of that, this isn't a one-on-one duel. It's a tag duel. The Paradox Brothers have been partners for years and probably work really well together, unlike Jaden and Syrus who have never dueled as a pair before!," Alexis commented, "I think they're too much for even Jaden to handle."

"It'll be fun, Lex. Don't worry!" Jaden gave her a cocky smirk, causing her to bite her lips.

"I'm worried about you, Jay. I don't want you to get expelled." She expressed with a bit more force in her voice. Jaden put his hands over hers comfortingly, smiling at her warmly, causing Alexis's expression to soften a bit. Midori raised her eyebrows in response, causing Jaden to glare at the headmistress.

"What you said earlier is true, Alexis. Minor league duelists could beat most of the students at this school, but Jaden isn't like most students at this school. Call me a bit biased, but I'd say he's one of the best first year students at this school. I'm not saying he can compete against a minor league duelist, but he can definitely compete against the Paradox Brothers one-on-one." Midori continued, as her expression grew more serious, "But what worries me is that this duel isn't a one-on-one, like you said, it's a tag duel, and I don't want to say that it's impossible for you guys to win as a team, but it'll definitely be hard to win in a tag duel against the Paradox Brothers since they have worked together for a long time."

"Even if Jaden can keep up with them one-on-one, I can't! If you guys didn't know, I'm a shit duelist compared to Jaden! I've also never been in a tag duel before!" Syrus complained, burying his face in his hands. He thought could deal with the stress of getting expelled, but this upcoming tag duel had changed things. Now, if he failed, Jaden would get expelled too. What if he held Jaden back? What if he wasn't good enough? He imagined Jaden looking at him with the same disappointed eyes as Zane did. He couldn't deal with that.

Jaden patted his friend on the back. "Don't worry, Sy. Chumley said you're a great duelist. He said you managed to summon a monster with 8000 attack points, which is definitely impressive. Heck, I can't even do that! We're going to be great teammates!'"

"I did summon a monster with 8000 attack points, but I still lost the duel." Syrus pulled at his hair in distress, "I'm probably just going to make you lose."

"Well with that confidence I wouldn't be surprised if you can't even put a dent in their life-points." Alexis remarked mockingly.

Syrus groaned in response, burying his head deeper into his hands. He was going to get expelled, and Jaden would be too, because of him.

"No," Jaden stood up from the couch, resolve etched onto his face, "I know it might be impossible to win, but I want to fight to the very end. Even if it could be my last duel at this academy, I'm glad that it's with you, Syrus. We share so many great memories together, and that's what I'm going to fight for."

"Look at you acting all grown up," Midori cooed, causing Jaden's face to flush. Alexis and Syrus laughed at how red his face was turning at Midori's remark. Syrus was feeling a little better about himself. He wasn't losing his mind, but he was still nervous as hell.

The Slifer then pouted at the new chancellor, clearly flustered by her snide comment.

"You suck, you know that?"

* * *

Jesse Anderson didn't know why Ruby was acting up.

He had just finished dueling some girl from Slifer Red. He loved to duel, and he was happy to duel anyone who would send him a duel request. Duel requests were a system that the school had set up so that students could have the chance to duel whoever they wanted to challenge. Students would fill out a 'duel request,' form stating the name of the person they want to duel, their dorm, and the reason why. They would then place the forms in a mailbox cubby located in the main building.

Teachers would read these requests, and arrange the duel by messaging students through the PDA. If a student didn't want to duel, the teacher would let the sender know.

Jesse never declined. He would always accept, even if his challenger was a Slifer. Most Obelisks rejected challenges from Slifers, because they were 'too weak.' Jesse didn't care how good or bad his opponent was. A due was a duel.

Speaking of Slifers, Jesse was thinking of sending a duel request to Jaden Yuki, who was probably the most talented Slifer at the school. Heck, he was probably one of the most talented duelists at the school. He was excited to duel such a strong opponent, and he planned to submit his request at least by the end of this week. Jaden had even beaten Chazz.

Chazz was his roommate and he tolerated Jesse's presence, but he was gone now. Chazz had left the island on a rowboat on his own. To be honest, Jesse had a hard time understanding Chazz when he was still at the island, and didn't know what to think of him. His talent and skill were undeniable, but the national champion was always so angry and bitter. Jesse always seemed to know what buttons he had to push to get Chazz to soften up, which usually involved poking fun at his Ojamas, even so he felt like they were very distant from each other.

Jesse did worry about Chazz at times, but it's not like they were the closest of roommates. He didn't know much about Chazz, and Chazz didn't know much about him. Chazz never opened up to him, and he never took interest in Jesse's personal life.

It was nice to have the room to himself. He never felt lonely either, because he had Ruby and his other Crystal Beast duel spirits to keep him company.

Jesse followed Ruby closer to the Slifer Red dorm. His challenger and he had decided to duel in front of the dorm. After they were done, she returned to her room, while he chased Ruby around, who was giddy like always.

Ruby then came to a stop right in front of a door for a the room on the lower wing. A slightly deep and intense voice reverberated through the door. He put his ear against the door trying to make out the sounds. The voice was very eerie, and he was curious to find out what it was saying.

"Yes, Chancellor Sheppard. I hope your mission is going well for you." The voice spoke, which was followed by a muffled noise. The voice continued, "I'm afraid Kagemaru has been missing for the past few months. He disappeared around the same time those students at the Abandoned Blue Dorm went missing. I hope this information can help your search."

Chancellor Sheppard? He was the headmaster of the school; he had left the island a few days ago to take care of personal business. Yet, this voice said Sheppard left on some mission. What was this mission? Was he searching for something? Was he searching for someone? Who was Kagemaru?

All these questions began to form in Jesse's head, wondering what the hell the voice was talking about. The Abandoned Blue Dorm? He knew that students weren't supposed to trespass, but no one had ever specified why. Apparently, students used to live in there, but they all had received offers to study abroad and 'abandoned,' the dorm. Was it all a lie to cover up the truth? Did students go missing? Now that he thought of it, it was very odd how all the students living in that dorm had received offers to study abroad, and it was even stranger how all of them had accepted.

Jesse took a step back, reading the golden plaque embedded on to the wooden door. It read: Lyman Banner.

* * *

 **There you have it. I hope you all enjoyed, and please tell me what you think. I love hearing all your opinions.**

 **As to any questions you might have:**

 **Bastion didn't send Jaden a duel request, because he wanted to study Jaden thoroughly before challenging him. He was going to send the request after he left Jaden's room, but he got side tracked by the Duelist Kingdom DVD.**

 **I know that in the anime Jaden and Syrus have to tag duel as punishment for trespassing into the Abandoned Blue Dorm. The reason I didn't keep this the same is because I have other plans for the Abandoned Blue Dorm.**

 **Jesse's deck will only be Crystal Beasts. There will be no bugs. There will be no mix bewteen bugs and Crystal Beasts. I might expand on the Crystal Beast archetype with cards from Arc V if necessary, and the same for Alexis if I decide to introduce her Cyber Angels.**

 **Also, I'm not making up 'custom,' cards or altering pendulum support cards, unless I ABSOLUTELY need too.**

 **Alexis is one of the most important characters in the story, and she won't be sidelined or overshadowed by 'the boys.' I'm heavily considering making her have Cyber Angels, so you'll probably see them soon.**

 **Syrus is obviously not as talented as Jaden, Chazz, Alexis, etc. It doesn't mean he's completely trash though.**

 **Bastion is not invincible, and you will start to see his flaws sooner or later.**

 **I can promise character development for many of the characters, but I can't promise how much for each. I can straight up telling you Sheppard, and Jasmine are not getting much at all.**

 **There will be a miss academy pageant, and it will be similar to the manga. Miss Dorothy will not win, and I don't even know if she will be in the pageant chapter. She is not important to the plot at all.**

 **The plot will thicken around chapter 7.**

 **Once again, thank you for your support. I'm trying to get better with every chapter, so if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to voice them. The next chapter will be shorter than this one? I'm not too sure; I have it planned out, but I won't know until I write it out. Until next week! :)**


	6. Coward

**Here's the next chapter of Generation X. It's a bit shorter than the other chapters. I posted it a bit later than I expected, because of how sick I've been the past week. I hope that I can get a few chapters done this week, because I have a lot of free time.**

 **Also, this is the only chapter I don't reveal the contents of the duelists' hand and face-down cards. I think it's better, because it adds suspense, but if you're not a fan of that please feel free to tell me in the reviews.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Jesse Anderson froze in silence.

His partner Ruby circled around his feet giddily, unaware of what the Obelisk had just heard. He was standing in front of a dried up wooden door, which was worn-out from the test of time. A single golden plaque glistened at its center, reading: Lyman Banner.

Moments ago, Jesse had heard a deep, intense voice from behind the door. It had caught his attention, as he leaned his ear against the door to listen to what it had to say.

He assumed that this intense voice belonged to Lyman Banner, the name etched on to the plaque. It was a name that he was familiar with. Lyman Banner was his history teacher.

Banner normally spoke in a relaxed and laid-back tone. It had taken him aback how intense the professor's voice could get. Something was wrong.

The professor had revealed how a man, who went by the name of Kagemaru, disappeared around the same time as the students of the abandoned dorm to Jesse's shock.

The students in the abandoned dorm were supposed to have left on an exchange program to America, yet the eerie voice had implied that they were missing.

Duel Academy hid secrets, and Jesse had just walked into one of them.

The Obelisk could feel his heart getting heavier, as he quietly walked away from the professor's room. Banner's voice could no longer be heard. The professor didn't seem like he had any more to say, and Jesse took that as a cue to leave. He was afraid what would happen if Banner became aware of his presence.

Just as Jesse took a few steps away from the door, he noticed a brown fur-ball with white wings flying towards him. It looked familiar.

He had seen this creature when he watched Jaden's duel with Chazz at the gymnasium a while back. It was the creature that brought Chazz to his knees. It was ironic how a creature with such adorable golden eyes had completely crushed the national champion.

"Winged Kuriboh?" Jesse muttered to himself, "Wait, that means…"

As if on cue, Jesse saw a boy with untidy brown hair in white jeans and a red jacket trail behind Winged Kuriboh.

Jaden stopped in front of Jesse, as he put his hands on his knees, panting heavily. The Slifer continued panting, before slowly catching his breath. The boy then seemed to notice the dark blue cat staring at Winged Kuriboh intently.

"This is where you were leading me?" Jaden asked his partner, before he met Jesse's emerald eyes. "You have a duel spirit too, huh?"

"Yep! This is Ruby Carbuncle, and I'm Jesse Anderson." The teal-haired Obelisk introduced himself with a friendly smile on his face. He spoke in a heavy southern accent and he wore a blue jacket over a white t-shirt.

"This is Winged Kuriboh, and my name is Jaden Yuki," Jaden noticed that Jesse looked awfully familiar.

"I know!" Jesse exclaimed, taking Jaden aback. The boy in the blue jacket chuckled at the shocked expression on Jaden's face, "You're kind of famous, Jaden Yuki. You beat Crowler and Chazz."

"Right," Jaden answered.

"I also watched you duel Chazz at the arena with Alexis and Syrus," Jesse added, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"You're kidding!" Jaden said excitedly. If he recalled, Syrus and Alexis had never told him about Jesse. Even if they did, he usually zoned them out, because of his very short attention span.

"It's true! I was there." Jesse responded, "I can't believe that Winged Kuriboh is with you! I thought it was Koyo's card."

"It was…" Jaden lowered his head, his face twisting ever so slightly, "He gave it to me, before…"

'Before he fell into a coma.' Jesse thought, but it was better left unsaid. Koyo's coma seemed to be a sensitive subject for Jaden. Although Jesse didn't know Koyo personally, he, like everyone else, knew of how the pro had to retire early because of his condition.

Jesse then noticed how even Winged Kuriboh's golden eyes drooped down in sadness. The Obelisk figured that he should change subjects to lighten the mood, "Uh, so have you had any good duels lately?"

"Well, I am dueling the Paradox Brothers tomorrow." Jaden replied casually.

"What? No way! Those guys are pro tag duelists! How did you get them to duel you?" Jesse asked curiously.

"Crowler hired them to duel Syrus and I!" Jaden exclaimed, not mentioning how if he lost both of them would be automatically expelled.

"Sweet! I've always wanted to duel professionally, but I never got the chance, although I did spend a year in the minor league, before coming to this school." Jesse explained, as Jaden's eyes widened at this.

The minor league was a second-tier league just under the pro league, consisting of pro league rejects and young prospects hoping to join the pro league someday. Even though minor league duelists were not considered professionals, the top duelists in the league would be promoted to the pro league.

Essentially minor league duelists were a talented bunch that would compete against each other for a chance to duel professionally. To be a part of this league at such a young age was impressive. Jaden looked at Jesse with a newfound admiration.

"That's pretty impressive!" Jaden beamed. He wanted to see how strong Jesse was for himself, "Do you think we could duel some time? I want to see how strong you really are!"

"Of course," Jesse smiled brightly. He wanted to see how strong Jaden was, as well. The Obelisk was impressed with how the Slifer had defeated both Crowler and Chazz. "Why don't we duel right now?"

"I'd love to!" Jaden said enthusiastically. He could feel excitement rushing through his body. He always appreciated a challenge. As thrilled as he was, Jaden stopped himself. He cursed at himself for being such an idiot. "But, I don't remember where I put my duel disk…"

Jesse shook his head. "If you don't want to duel, you can just tell me that."

"It's not that!" Jaden denied almost indignantly, "I love to duel! I'll take anyone up on a duel. It's fun meeting new opponents and learning from them, but I'm just really good at misplacing things."

Jesse sweat dropped, as he almost fell over in disbelief. Jaden had a duel tomorrow against the Paradox Brothers, and he didn't even know where his duel disk was. He'd have to find it as soon as possible if he wanted to duel at all.

He did agree with what Jaden had said though. Jesse was very passionate about dueling, as well. He was always excited to duel new duelists with different cards and strategies. "Fair enough, but the next time we meet we're dueling."

"I look forward to it!" Jaden held out his hand. Jesse promptly reached for it, shaking it. The dark-brown of Jaden's eyes met emerald hue in Jesse's, as their hands intertwined.

They would meet again. Their paths were fated to cross.

* * *

It was no use.

Syrus sighed deeply, as his eyes closed tightly. He banged his fists against the table in frustration, causing the cards spread across it to shake. He would never be good enough.

"Calm down, Sy." Alexis sat next to him, putting a comforting hand on his tensed up shoulders. She was in his dorm room trying to help him prepare for his duel tomorrow in the Slifer Red lounge, but it was of no avail.

"I can't! We're going to lose tomorrow, and we'll be forced to leave the academy!" Syrus breathed heavily, as his knuckles collided against the wooden table once more.

"You can't think like that!" Alexis let out in an almost exasperated tone, "Jaden will come through."

It seemed like she was saying this more to herself than to the Slifer, but even so Syrus doubted it. Jaden was a good duelist, but he couldn't beat the Paradox Brothers all by himself, especially not if dead wood like Syrus was holding him back.

Jaden could duel flawlessly, and it still might not be enough. Syrus knew they could still lose, and it would be entirely his fault. If only he hadn't been so stupid and done well enough on his tests would things be different. Instead, he got too stressed out by tests and let the stress overwhelm him. He was pathetic.

"Right," Syrus said blankly. Jaden and he had never dueled together before, while the Paradox brothers have dueled together for a very long time. What if he played his cards wrong and messed up Jaden's strategies?

The stress of potential failure that he felt before tests intensified. If he failed a test, he was the only one who suffered. However, if Syrus messed things up this duel, Jaden would get expelled as well. He didn't want to mess things up for Jaden, but he just wasn't a good enough duelist.

"Look, I don't want you guys to get expelled either." Alexis said. She knew that it would be hard for the two of them to beat the Paradox brothers, and she felt restless at the fact that she couldn't do much to help them. "I don't know if there's anything else I can do to help you. I've been trying to help you prepare different strategies, but you don't seem to be paying attention to my advice."

"I'm sorry, Alexis. I find it hard to focus when I'm really stressed." Alexis nodded, looking at the Slifer pitifully. The two of them were silent for a few moments, before Syrus started, "Even if we lose this duel, Jaden won't be mad at me forever, right?"

Jaden was the first friend that Syrus had made in his life, and he was scared that he'd lose Jaden if they lost the duel. He didn't want Jaden to resent him for being so useless if they lost.

"Don't be silly, Sy" Alexis assured him," Jaden wouldn't get mad at you over something like that, and you won't lose the duel. You have to win."

"Even if we lose the duel, Jaden, you and me will stay friends, right?" Syrus didn't want to give up every good thing that he had at the academy.

"Of course. And stop talking about losing. You'll do fine, just have confidence in yourself." Alexis asserted, hiding her doubts and concerns beneath her skin. Syrus already doubted himself. The last thing he needed was anyone else doubting him.

"I mean on the bright side I'd get to go back to Domino City and see my parents again." Syrus contemplated, "I kind of missed the city. It would be a nice change from living on the island."

"Syrus…" Alexis looked anxiously at the Slifer, who was desperately trying to brace himself for the pain of failure, "I don't want you guys to leave! You guys are my friends, and I don't want to lose any more of my friends."

"I mean we can still text each other, and we can hang out when you visit Domino City during the holidays…" Syrus comforted her. It didn't take a genius to figure that she was talking about Chazz. The national champion had left the island after losing to Jaden, and no one knew what had become of him. It was tearing Alexis apart how Chazz had left, and it seemed like she was still hurting.

Speaking of Chazz, he had left on a rowboat all by himself. Perhaps, Syrus should as well. Even though the school had confiscated all the rowboats, after the incident with Chazz, he could make a makeshift raft for himself.

Surely, Jaden wouldn't be allowed to duel the Paradox Brothers on his own. They would find him a new partner for him, or just cancel the duel. Either way Syrus wouldn't have the chance to let Jaden down.

"No, Syrus. It won't be the same, so please win…I'm begging you." Alexis implored desperately, as her hazel eyes shimmered with sadness.

"Don't worry, I won't let Jaden down." Syrus asserted which took Alexis aback. Where had this sudden confidence come from? Wherever it was, she was just glad that Syrus wasn't as panicky as before. It wasn't like him to get himself together so quickly, but she couldn't complain.

But, little did she know that Syrus didn't plan to duel at all.

* * *

"I'm not even going to ask why both your duel disk and your spare duel disk were tied to a basketball net," Midori shook her head, as Jaden and she walked back to the Slifer Red dorm. They could see the dorm and a garbage can positioned in front of them, but they still needed to walk quite a bit to get there.

"Well, it all started when Chumley and I played one-on-one. You see Chumley was mad that I was making fun of his shooting form, so-"

"I never asked!" Midori exclaimed, "You should just be thankful that you found a duel disk for tomorrow."

"Right."

"You better not forget to bring it to the duel tomorrow!" She told him, knowing how forgetful Jaden could be at times.

"Why would I forget to bring a duel disk to the biggest duel of my life?" Jaden wondered.

"Just don't forget to bring it, okay?" Midori sighed. She had a feeling that it wasn't entirely impossible that he would forget his duel disk anyways. "Speaking of the duel, how are you holding up?"

"To be honest, I'm really nervous. I pretend that everything's fine in front of my friends, but I know that if I lose I have to leave the academy. I don't want that…" Jaden said sincerely, breaking down the walls that he had built in his mind.

"It's okay to be nervous, Jay." Midori said in a soft tone.

"What if I mess up and Syrus ends up getting expelled? It would be because I wasn't good enough." Jaden asked her.

"You're not dueling alone out there, Jay. You have Syrus with you." She reminded him. She didn't want to him to carry the burden all by himself. It wasn't healthy.

"I know…I just don't think that we're good enough to win, Midori. They're professionals." Jaden expressed as sadness covered his face, "Dueling doesn't seem so fun, when there are things at stake…"

They stopped in their tracks, as Midori pulled Jaden into her arms. "Dueling isn't always fun, Jaden. You should know that better than anyone…"

Jaden then fell into the depth of his subconscious, as he saw Koyo trapped in dark, thorny vines, struggling to breathe. A creature with sickly pink skin and large black wings stared at Koyo with orange and green eyes, as its lips slowly, but cruelly curled into a sadistic grin.

He desperately brushed aside the memory, but it didn't stop him from trembling in Midori's arms. He breathed frantically; even now he was still haunted by the experience. He was the one who paralyzed Koyo. It was all his fault.

Midori seemed to notice how tense Jaden was getting, and brought him closer to her, gently breathing down his neck. "Hey, it's okay…"

This was the only reason Jaden acted as if every duel excited him. He acted as if every duel was fun. He convinced himself that meeting new opponents and learning from them was the greatest thing in the world. This was what Koyo taught him, and he wanted to honor it. It was the least he could do for hurting the pro.

"I don't want to leave this academy. I don't want to leave my friends, and I don't want to leave you… I don't want to lose anyone else." Jaden whimpered, as the price of losing the duel dawned on him.

Under his happy-go-luck, optimistic façade, Jaden was a helpless, little boy who was still scarred by what had happened to Koyo.

Midori didn't blame Jaden for hurting her brother. It wasn't his fault. It was that creature's fault…They had sent her away far into space though. She would never hurt them ever again.

"Jaden…You won't lose anyone else. You won't have to leave. If anyone can win tomorrow, it's you." Midori asserted firmly.

"I-I don't know if I can…" Jaden said dejectedly, causing Midori to frown. It wasn't like the Slifer to be so mopey.

"You will. I know you will. You're the strongest person I know, Jaden. Even after all that's happened with Koyo, you're still trying to stay strong. You haven't broken down yet, no matter how much it hurts you. You always try to find the fun in dueling, even when dueling was what caused Koyo to get hurt. It's really brave of you to persevere, and not give up on what Koyo has taught you and what you believe in. If Koyo was here he would be really proud of you." Midori then planted her lips against Jaden's forehead, caressing it gently.

Jaden could feel his face warm up. She really believed in him. "Thanks, Midori."

She let go of him, smiling at him warmly. "You'll do great."

As impossible as it seemed for a pair of Slifer Red students to beat a pair of pro tag duelists, Jaden wouldn't give up. That's what Koyo would want…

"You always know how to cheer me up, even though you can be annoying as hell sometimes." He smirked, causing her to roll her eyes. At least he was back to normal.

"Likewise," She muttered.

"I just hope Syrus is up to it…The guy just needs to be more confident in himself." Jaden said.

"Well it's not that easy, when your brother is the best duelist in the school." Midori argued.

"Syrus isn't my brother." Jaden commented, causing Midori to cringe.

"Syrus's brother is Zane Truesdale. He's a third year student and ranked the number one duelist at the school. He's going to duel professionally next year, and people are always comparing him to Syrus." Midori explained to Jaden, as they continued to make their way back to the dorm, "Syrus can't feel confident in himself, because he knows that no matter what he does or accomplishes he will be nothing compared to his brother."

"That's kind of sad… "Jaden replied, as they arrived in front of Jaden's dorm room. "I just wish there was some way I could help him appreciate himself."

"Me too, Jaden, but it usually takes a really long time to fix these kinds of things. It doesn't happen overnight," She sighed, as they stopped on the spot. "I guess this is where we part ways."

"Yeah…Hey, was that garbage can always there?" Jaden asked looking at the cylindrical, tin can beneath them, which was positioned a few feet in front of the dorm.

"I don't think so…I guess someone must have put it there." Midori inferred.

"Hey, Midori?"Jaden said suddenly.

"Yes, Jaden?"

"Thanks for being there for me. You mean the world to me." Jaden gave Midori one last hug, before twisting the golden knob of his dorm room, as he lifted a hand to wave her goodbye.

Unbeknownst to them, a man in a blonde ponytail hid inside the trash can that had suddenly found its place in front of the Slifer Red dorm, grinning widely.

The man wanted to spy on any unsuspecting Slifers that dared to act up. It was to his pleasant surprise that he had that this unsuspecting Slifer was his least favorite student. Vellian Crowler had watched Jaden and Midori's little exchange from afar. Their exchange seemed a bit too intimate for a teacher-student relationship.

It was something he could exploit to steal the temporary headmaster role from Ms. Hibiki. It was also something he could exploit to shame Jaden, if the slacker wasn't gone by tomorrow, although he doubted it.

Syrus and Jaden were to duel at the arena tomorrow, and the whole school was invited to watch the famous Paradox Brothers in action. The two Slifer slackers would get destroyed by the professional tag duelists, and the whole school would watch them suffer.

The Paradox Brothers would make sure that those slackers would not have even the faintest chance.

* * *

"Sy?" Jaden called out, as he walked into his dorm room.

"He left about twenty minutes ago," Chumley answered from his usual spot on the top of the triple bunk bed.

"Do you know where he went?" Jaden wondered where Syrus would have gone. It was getting late, and they had a duel tomorrow. The blue-haired boy should get some sleep, if he wanted to be able to concentrate on the duel the next day.

"How am I supposed to know?" Chumley shot back.

"I don't know. By the way, Chum your shot is still the worst thing I've ever seen." Jaden teased.

"You're the worst thing I've ever seen." Chumely retorted with a hint of irritation in his voice.

The brown-haired boy then noticed a single piece of paper that was on top of their wooden desk. He approached the desk, wondering why it was there. He picked up the paper, as he started to read it.

"Oh brother," He muttered to himself, after a while. He had just finished reading. He put the note back on to the desk. "Hey, Chumley I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back soon."

"First of all, I never asked you if you were going out. Secondly, you better not come back, until you're willing to admit that I have a better shooting form than you!" Chumley boomed.

"If I do end up admitting that, I want you to check me into a mental hospital." Jaden remarked, exiting the room. He could hear Chumley yelling angrily behind the door, but Jaden ignored it.

Syrus needed him.

* * *

"I couldn't find anything. I even tried to enter the dorm, but it was locked Zane." Alexis told a boy with long layered blue hair. He was wearing his signature white jacket, and his cold blue eyes stared into sea in front of him.

They were standing on a catwalk that extended away from the school's harbor. A tall, white lighthouse towered over them at the end of the catwalk. The waters glimmered from the light of the setting sun, as red skies loomed over them.

"You need to be more careful." Zane warned her, "You could get expelled if they catch you trespassing into the abandoned dorm."

They were talking about Atticus Rhodes: Alexis's brother who had resided in the school's abandoned dorm, before disappearing months ago. Atticus was one of Zane's closest friends; Zane would often come over to their house to hang out with Atticus, before the two friends left Domino City to attend Duel Academy.

She had told Zane about how she had gone to the abandoned dorm a few weeks back, in hopes of finding out what had happened to her brother and the other students who resided in the dorm. She thought that visiting the dorm would give her some clue as to what had happened to them.

It turned out there was nothing there that could help her. The doors were locked.

"If something happened to him, I want to know about its." Alexis asserted.

"That doesn't mean that you can just trespass whenever you feel like it." Zane responded with a stern expression etched on to his face.

"I'm just worried about my brother!" Alexis cried, "Aren't you worried about him too?"

"I can understand your frustration, but you can't just act recklessly. Reckless actions can have fatal consequences." Zane reiterated. He was upset that Atticus was gone too, but there was nothing he could do. He didn't want to waste his time looking for someone that couldn't be found. It wasn't worth jeopardizing his future, and deep down he was afraid of finding out what had become of his best friend.

The school worshiped the ground that he walked on, and had labelled him as the academy's greatest duelist, but underneath all that was nothing but a single truth.

He was a coward.

"Please, Zane. If there's anything you know that could help me find him, you need to tell me." Alexis figured that since Zane was at the school last year he would know more about the incident than she did.

"Do you think your brother would ever forgive me, if he found out that you got kicked out of this school or got hurt, because I encouraged you to get involved?" Zane breathed, "The school doesn't want you to know. It fed everyone lies to cover up the truth. The only reason I found out was because Sheppard told me, but made me swear to keep it a secret. They'll expel you, Alexis. If you get expelled, you're throwing away your dueling career. Atticus will be so mad at me."

"My brother is more important than school. I'd put my life on the line for him." She said firmly, "Plus, you're right. My brother wouldn't want me getting involved, and that's exactly why I will get involved. He was always too selfless. He always liked to play the hero, and help other people deal with their problems. But if anyone tried to help him with his problems, he would immediately shut them down. That's why I want to find out what happened to him, and help him if I can, because I want to be the one saving him for once. I'm worried about him, Zane."

Zane sighed, shaking his head. She was so persistent, just like Atticus in that regard. "I know as much as you do, so I don't know if I'll be of much help."

Alexis hung her head in disappointment. She really hoped that Zane could give her even the slightest idea of what happened at the abandoned dorm.

"I can't help you, but the school probably knows a lot more than they let on. If you know anyone who can hack into the school's system, maybe you can find documents and files on the incident." Zane advised.

Alexis nodded. She would have to find someone like that. Perhaps if she started up a computer club at the school, her search would become easier. She would have to start it as soon as possible; she didn't want to waste any time.

"Just don't get caught. You don't want to end up getting expelled like my brother." Zane groaned.

"Your brother's not getting expelled, Zane." Alexis told the older boy.

"He is if he loses against the Paradox Brothers." Alexis had told Zane about Syrus's situation earlier, and the older boy didn't believe that his younger brother could win at all, "I don't think his odds look so good."

"Syrus's partner is one of the best duelists I know. If anyone can help Syrus win against the Paradox Brothers, it's him." Alexis stated confidently.

"Really?" Zane asked curiously.

"Yeah! He beat Crowler, and he even beat Chazz." Alexis said.

"Interesting. What's his name?" Zane mused. He had heard of Chazz Princeton. The undefeated three time national junior champion. To win the national championship three years in a row was a very respectable feat, and it must have taken someone special to defeat someone like Chazz.

Crowler was no pushover either. The professor was one of the best duelists among the staff, and he was rumored to have the legendary card 'Ancient Gear Golem,' in his deck.

Plus, if Alexis believed in him, then this kid must really be good. Alexis wasn't the kind to praise anyone that highly unless she meant it.

"Jaden Yuki."

Whoever this Jaden was, Zane was excited to see him duel tomorrow.

A sudden scream pierced the air, causing the two Obelisks to flinch.

"What was that?!" Alexis reacted.

"Syrus." Zane growled, wishing that the cowardly scream wasn't familiar to him.

* * *

Syrus pushed an array of logs fastened by golden ropes on to the sea. He didn't know where the tides of the sea would lead him. He wished that he would find his way back to Domino City, but it was nothing more than hopeful thinking.

Yet, it was better if he left. He wouldn't have to burden Jaden, and if he stayed he would be forced off the island sooner than later. At least this way, his friend wouldn't get the chance to be disappointed in him.

Syrus climbed on to the makeshift raft, picking up the thick tree branches that were to serve as oars. He had one last look at the island. Waves slowly, but steadily kissed the rocky shores where he had dueled Chumley a few days before, as a tall cliff loomed over him.

This was it.

He was running away. Things would be easier for Jaden if he left. He didn't have to disappoint anyone again, but then why did it feel like he was disappointing himself?

"Syrus!" Jaden's voice cried out to him, as he could hear the sound of footsteps beating against the rocky surface of the shore.

He looked up to see the familiar boy in the Slifer Red jacket and white jeans, sprinting frantically to catch up to him.

In response, Syrus began to pull on the tree branches slowly propelling the raft into the sea.

"Syrus! What are you doing?" Jaden asked, panting as he got closer to his friend.

"I'm leaving, Jay! That way I won't hold you back in the tag duel." Syrus answered, as he pulled faster and faster on the branches.

"That's ridiculous, Sy." Jaden shook his head, "You're my partner! Without you, there will be no tag duel."

"Maybe they'll find you a new partner, or cancel the duel completely. I couldn't stand it if I let you down." Syrus said. He tried to pull the raft farther away from the shore, but his makeshift oars were to say the least ineffective.

"Get over here, Sy! You won't get far on that shitty raft." Jaden argued.

"You're just a hater. This raft will take me all the way to Domino City." Syrus announced.

"Uh, Sy, I think you might be a bit deluded. Just a little bit, you know?"

"I'm still not coming back." Syrus stated stubbornly.

"Oh, I'll make you come back!" Jaden lunged into the water, taking a few strides, before lunging on to the pile of logs.

As Jaden collided on to the raft, the impact caused Syrus to fall into the water. The blue-haired Slifer let out a scream that echoed into the horizon.

Syrus swung his arms frantically, causing erratic splashes to disrupt the steady waves of the sea, as Jaden hung on to edge of the makeshift raft.

"Help, I'm drowning! Jaden, please save me!" Syrus begged, gasping for air.

"Don't worry, Sy. I got your back," Jaden then jumped into the water, as he tried to paddle towards Syrus. A wave of water collided against Jaden, causing his head to go under the water. He desperately bobbed his head out. "Oh shit! I'm drowning too!"

"Just my luck!" Syrus cried in dismay, "At least we won't have to duel tomorrow, if we drown."

"That's what you're thinking about right now?!" Jaden choked out the salty water that he had just swallowed.

"Hey, it's true!" Syrus closed his eyes shut tightly, preventing any more water from entering them.

"Help! I don't want to die..." Jaden cried out, before suddenly adding, "Syrus I have a confession to make!"

"Well, you better hurry up. We don't have much time!"

"I've been using your toothbrush for the last two weeks, because I accidentally flushed mine down the toilet." Jaden burst out.

"You what?! How do you even manage to flush your toothbrush down the toilet?" Syrus blurted in shock. Under normal circumstances, he would give Jaden a piece of his mind, but these were their last moments. "Jaden, I always wanted to tell you that it pisses me off how you talk in your sleep."

"Guys…" A voice spoke from not too far ahead of them.

"I don't talk in my sleep!"

"How would you know? You're asleep!"

"GUYS!" Jaden and Syrus turned their heads toward the shore in alarm, as they saw Alexis staring at them with her arms crossed, with Zane standing right next to her, "You're like five feet away from the shore. It's shallow."

Jaden and Syrus's face burned red with embarrassment, as they stopped flailing their arms and walked towards the shore.

"Syrus, what were you doing?" Zane demanded, staring furiously at his younger brother.

"I-I-I was-" Syrus stopped. He didn't want to explain to his brother that he was running away. His brother was beginning to respect him, and he didn't want to ruin their relationship again.

"You were what?!" Zane breathed through grit teeth, with a bit more force behind his voice.

"I-I was going to leave the island, because I didn't want to let my partner down in my tag duel tomorrow." Syrus squeaked, hanging his head down in shame, "I'm sorry, Zane. I'm sorry that your brother is a coward…"

Zane remained silent, glaring at his brother with his intense blue eyes. His gaze did not waver, boring into the cowering Slifer. His face was palpable with rage and disappointment, as the older Truesdale shook fiercely.

He had thought that his brother had grown up. His brother wasn't the same kid that would get picked on and bullied anymore. He had thought Syrus had changed. He definitely didn't expect Syrus to build a shitty raft in a desperate attempt to escape. He could have got hurt.

He had thought that Syrus wasn't a coward like he was.

He was wrong.

Jaden noticed Alexis's expression change to one of concern, before his eyes turned towards Syrus. His friend's gaze was fixed on to the ground. Syrus whimpered as Zane's unwavering eyes loomed over the cowering Slifer.

' _Syrus can't feel confident in himself, because he knows that no matter what he does or accomplishes he will be nothing compared to his brother.'_

Midori's words rang through Jaden's thoughts, as he clenched his fists.

Zane was a reminder of what Syrus would never accomplish, because he just wasn't good enough. Now, Zane was looking down at him, because he was disappointed that he was a coward. This would only make Syrus's already broken confidence worse. He would always be in Zane's shadow, and he couldn't escape it. Zane was perfect; he had no flaws, and Syrus couldn't live up to that. That's why Jaden would make Syrus realize how flawed Zane really was.

"Hey, Zane!" Jaden cried out, shaking on the spot. Alexis and Syrus looked at Jaden with shock at how aggressive their friend's tone was. "How can you look down on your brother like that? Can't you see how upset he is? You're really getting under my nerves right now! I'm going to teach you to show some respect."

Syrus expected Zane to pummel Jaden to death, but instead he spoke, "How do you supposed you'll do that, Slifer scum?"

Zane slowly turned towards the brown-haired Slifer, unflinching. He stared at him with his cold, piercing blue eyes, which Jaden met with a glare of his own.

"I'm going to beat you in a duel!" Jaden declared, as small smile broke the tension in his face.

There was no response, as the four of them remained still under the red skies.

"Are you crazy, Jaden?! You'll lose," Syrus interrupted in panic.

Alexis's eyes widened, as she mouthed, 'shut up,' to Jaden. There was no need for Jaden to get involved.

Zane held up a hand to signal Syrus to calm down, as his gaze tightened. His face twisted. Syrus thought that his brother would explode any minute to angrily decline Jaden's offer. The younger Truesdale clenched his fists, bracing for the worst.

"Lighthouse in twenty minutes. Any later the duel's off."

* * *

Jaden was shaking, and it wasn't because of the chilly autumn wind that brushed against him.

Zane was rumored to be the best duelist at the school. He was going to be a professional duelist next year, and Jaden had the chance to duel him. It was making him tremble with excitement. He would be the strongest opponent Jaden had faced in his life with the exception of Koyo and Midori.

He smirked, as the duel disk on his arm extended. Alexis and Syrus stood behind him on one end of the catwalk, while Zane prepared to duel at the other end, with his back to the lighthouse. The starless skies were illuminated by a single crescent.

"You'll lose." Zane stated emotionlessly.

Jaden wouldn't lose to him. He would prove to Syrus that Zane could be beat. He hated seeing Syrus so upset and nervous all the time; he hoped that this duel would spark his friend's confidence.

"He's right, Jaden," Syrus muttered under his breath.

Zane raised his eyebrows at Syrus's remark. "So you're Jaden? Jaden Yuki?"

"That's right? I can't believe the Zane Truesdale has heard of me. I'm flattered." Jaden commented.

Zane's cold expression did not change. "I'll give you the first move."

Jaden 4000

Zane 4000

"Alright, I guess it's go time!" Jaden drew his sixth card into his hand, analyzing it. He had been working on dueling strategies and tactics since his loss to Bastion, and devising a game plan was way easier than it was before.

"I summon Dark Catapulter in defense mode!" A bulky dark-blue beetle crossed its muscular arms in front of Jaden. (ATK 1000/DEF 1500) "I'll throw down a face-down and end my turn!"

Zane drew his next card, before looking at his hand for only a fraction of a second, before deciding to continue. "I summon Cyber Dragon in attack mode."

A metallic dragon emerged in front of the Obelisk, as it menacingly stared down Jaden. (ATK 2100/DEF 1600)

"Hey, wait! You can't normal summon a level 5 monster!" Jaden exclaimed.

"I didn't normal summon it you fool. I can special summon Cyber Dragon, if you control a monster and I don't." Zane stated.

"No way… He summoned a monster with more than 2000 attack points on the first turn." Alexis observed. She had never actually watched Zane duel in person, and was astounded by the progress that her fellow Obelisk had made in only his first turn.

"I told you he can't be beat!" Syrus added.

"That's why you gave me the first move," Jaden chuckled, "Just in case, you drew Cyber Dragon."

"Attack." He commanded, as the dragon got ready to obliterate Dark Catapulter as a blue vortex burst out of its mouth.

"Reverse card open! Negate Attack ends your battle phase and stops your dragon from destroying my Dark Catapulter." Jaden reacted, as he smiled faintly. Zane was already pressuring him and it was only the first turn. He always appreciated a challenge.

"I'll set a face-down and end my turn." Zane said almost immediately after his attack was negated. It was as if he expected his attack to be stopped.

Jaden drew, as he examined Zane's field. There was Cyber Dragon, which was a strong monster, and there was also a face-down. The face-down worried him more than the dragon. Being the talented duelist Zane was, the face-down card was probably a game changing card. He would have to dispose of it.

' _You can't predict all of your opponent's face-down cards, but you can do things to prepare for what they could be hiding.'_

He recalled Midori's words. It was useful advice, and he would make good use of it this turn.

"I activate Dark Catapulter's effect, so get this Zane! If my Catapulter is in defense mode on my standby phase, I can put a counter on this card." Jaden explained, "Now, I banish my Negate Attack from my graveyard, and remove this counter. By doing that, I can destroy your face-down card! How's that Zane?"

"All of that work to destroy a face-down card? I'm impressed." Alexis interjected. Jaden was not taking Zane lightly at all, and was making sure that he was dealing with every single card that the Obelisk played.

Zane's face-down card 'Spell Calling,' was sent to the graveyard.

"I don't know if you did that on purpose, but it was a respectable move." Zane complimented. Spell Calling's effect only activated if it was destroyed by a spell or trap card, not a monster effect. Perhaps Jaden had anticipated that Zane could have 'Spell Calling,' face-down and used a monster effect to destroy his face-down card, instead of a trap or spell.

Syrus almost pinched himself. Was he dreaming? Zane was actually impressed with Jaden, and his brother wasn't the type to get impressed so easily.

"Thanks Zane! I didn't know you could be nice." Jaden said snidely, "I summon Elemental Hero Clayman in defense mode!"

A giant figure made of clay found its place next to Dark Catapulter. (ATK 800/DEF 2000)

"Jaden's playing very defensive." Syrus noticed. Jaden usually preferred to attack his opponent's monsters head on, and it was strange to watch him adopt a different strategy.

"He's being forced to. He probably doesn't have anything strong enough to destroy Cyber Dragon." Alexis responded, as she wondered what Jaden would do next.

"I'll throw down two face-downs and end my turn!" Jaden ended his turn with two cards left in his hand.

Zane didn't comment, as he added the top card of his deck to his hand. "I summon Cyber Phoenix in attack mode." A metallic phoenix with red lines on its silver wings took the field. (ATK 1200/DEF 1600)

"Sweet card, Zane!" Jaden exclaimed.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Zane then pointed at Dark Catapulter, "Cyber Dragon attack!"

This time the monster was blown into smithereens, as it was engulfed by a blue vortex.

"Now with that annoying Catapulter out of the way, I can set as much face-downs as I want to, and you won't be able to destroy any of them. In fact, I'll set two of them and end my turn." Zane said calmly.

Jaden drew right away. He didn't want slow things down. "I activate Take Over 5! I can send the top 5 cards in my deck to the graveyard."

He sent Bladeedge, Sparkman, Polymerization, Avian, and Transcendent Wings to the grave, cursing internally. It looked like he just destroyed Polymerization, which was a crucial card that he could have used to fusion summon. Not that it mattered, there were other ways to fusion summon.

"I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in defense mode and end my turn!" A light blue bat-man with cylindrical, grey water tanks on its back appeared on the field. (ATK 800/DEF 1200)

"He just keeps raising his defense. Jaden hasn't attempted a single attack this duel," Alexis grew worried for her friend in the red jacket.

"I'm surprised that Jaden lasted this long." Syrus said. He expected Zane to finish off his friend by now, but it's not like Zane was going all out either. His brother was reserved in his moves, testing his opponent's strength.

"Cyber Dragon will attack Clayman." Zane didn't waste any time.

"I was hoping you'd do that," Jaden beamed, "I activate Hero Ring! Now my Clayman can't be destroyed by a monster with more than 1900 attack points!"

"You're not bad, Yuki," Zane chuckled, as the slightest of smiles formed on his face.

Syrus was taken aback by his brother's reaction. Jaden was really impressing Zane. Perhaps it was a result of Jaden's skill, or perhaps it was how a mere Slifer Red had challenged the king of the school to a duel and was holding his own.

He had always noticed it. But even so, he thought that Jaden was no match for his brother, until now. Jaden's talent was undeniable.

"You're not so bad yourself, Zane." Jaden grinned.

"Clayman is indestructible. Only monsters with less than 1900 attack points can destroy it, but Clayman already has 2000 defense points. How clever…" Although it shouldn't have surprised her, Alexis learned a long time ago that Jaden was not to be underestimated.

"I'll end my turn by setting a face-down card." Zane said, before averting his gaze towards his younger brother who was watching the duel with awe. It seemed that their duel was sparking something within Syrus. He just hoped that whatever it was it would help Syrus be less of a coward.

"I'll draw!" Jaden's hand flew across his face, as he held the next card in his deck. "I activate the effect of Take Over 5 in my graveyard. I can banish it to draw another card."

Jaden added another card to his hand, before he smirked. 'Here goes nothing.'

"Zane, this is my counterattack!" Jaden said excitedly, " I activate Miracle Fusion so I banish Elemental Hero Bladeedge and Elemental Hero Sparkman from my graveyard to fusion summon Elemental Hero Plasma Vice!"

A massive hero covered in golden armor with elongated elbow blades loomed over all of Zane's monsters. (ATK 2800/DEF 2300)

"I activate De-Fusion," Zane said, "You banished Bladeedge and Sparkman, and Plasma Vice's fusion materials are no longer in your graveyard, which means Plasma Vice returns to your deck, and you don't get anything back!"

"It's the same trick Bastion used on him…" Alexis noted with concern. After that crushing defeat to Bastion, she figured that Jaden must have learned something, but it didn't seem that way at all.

"Not so fast! I've fallen for that before, and I won't fall for it again," Jaden claimed, referring to his duel with Bastion, "I activate a quick-spell from my hand Burial from a Different Dimension! I can return up to three of my banished monsters back to my grave! I choose Bladeedge, and Sparkman, and since they're in the graveyard now, your De-Fusion lets me summon them!"

A warrior made of golden blades glistened under the moonlight. (ATK 2600/DEF 1800)

A blue warrior with golden armor stood next to Bladeedge, as balls of lightening formed in its palms. (ATK 1600/DEF 1400)

"Amazing…" Zane remarked.

"Bladeedge attack Cyber Dragon!" Jaden called out. He noticed that Zane had two more face-down cards, but he already had an indestructible Clayman to protect him, in case Bladeedge's attack was negated or even if his golden hero was destroyed.

"I activate a trap card Attack Reflector Unit! I tribute Cyber Dragon to special summon Cyber Barrier Dragon from my deck in attack mode." A dragon covered in thick layers of silver armor, and a white ring around its neck appeared in Cyber Dragon's place. (ATK 800/DEF 2800)

"Bladeedge will attack your Barrier Dragon, then!" Jaden reasserted, not too sure why Zane left it in attack mode, if its defense points were significantly greater.

"My Barrier Dragon can negate an attack just once, if it's left in attack mode." Zane voiced.

"I'll negate its effect with my face-down quick-spell, Effect Shut!" Jaden revealed, "I can negate your Barrier Dragon's effect!"

"You're going to have to do a lot better than that, Jaden!" Zane exclaimed, "I activate Cyber Phoenix's effect. If my Cyber Phoenix is in attack mode, it can negate any of my opponent's spell or trap card if it targets specifically one machine monster on my field. I negate Effect Shut."

"Oh my goodness!" Jaden burst out laughing, as Zane smiled at him. "You're unbelievable. To show a Slifer Red like me such an awesome chain. You truly are flawless Zane."

"You're the best duelist I've dueled in a while, Jaden, and trust me I've dueled a lot." Zane was impressed with how Jaden kept finding a way, no matter how much he tried to shut him down.

Alexis couldn't help but smile at their exchange. It was an entertaining duel, and it was good to see her friends enjoying the duel. They were happy.

"My Sparkman still has an attack, so I'll attack Cyber Phoenix!" Jaden announced, before turning towards Syrus,"This one's for you, Sy!"

The phoenix was obliterated before Zane's eyes, yet he refused to flinch.

Jaden 4000

Zane 3600

Syrus watched in astonishment, as Jaden took the lead. His mouth hung wide open, as he stood in pure appreciation of what Jaden had just accomplished. He was beating his brother. It was the first time in a while that he had seen Zane lose life-points.

The blue-haired Slifer felt his confidence in his tag duel partner growing. Jaden wouldn't have any problems regardless of his opponent. Even though he stumbled against Bastion, he had found his way. It was just him who was the problem.

"When Cyber Phoenix is destroyed in battle, I can draw an extra card," Zane drew.

"I'll throw down two face-down cards, and leave it to you Zane." Jaden was still keeping up.

Zane added another card to his hand. He had four cards in his hand. "I activate my trap Call of the Haunted to bring back Cyber Dragon on to my field."

The metallic dragon burst through the ground, as it returned to the field. (ATK 2100/DEF 1600)

"Him again?" Jaden wondered out loud. What was Zane planning?

"I activate Power Bond to fuse the Cyber Dragon on my field to the two Cyber Dragons in my hand to fusion summon Cyber End Dragon!" The great silver dragon roared its way on to the field, with three metallic heads sticking out of its massive body. (ATK 8000/DEF 2800)

"8000 attack points…" Alexis froze, as all she was able to do was admire how the great beast and the difference in skill between Zane and every other duelist that she had dueled against in her life.

Syrus frowned. Even though Jaden was able to take the lead, it was a short-lived victory. Zane won the duel with that play. It seemed like Jaden was no match for his brother after all. His brother was perfect.

Jaden smiled brighter than he had ever before. This was what dueling was about. Zane was the greatest opponent, and that's why Jaden didn't want to disappoint him.

"This duel is almost at its end, Jaden." Zane spoke, "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"It was an honor to duel the great Zane Truesdale," Jaden smirked, causing the Obelisk to chuckle, "Honestly; I want this duel to last longer. I'm having way too much fun!"

"This duel will end this turn. Power Bond forces me to take 4000 damage by the end phase, so either I finish you off or I'm finished." Zane said with the faintest hint of disappointment in his tone. "That's the price of power."

"I'm not giving up Zane!" Jaden asserted firmly.

"I know." Zane smirked, "Cyber Dragon's effect lets me do piercing damage, so I'll attack Clayman and end this duel." A blinding white vortex approached Clayman, ready to put this duel to an end.

"I activate my trap Shift!" Jaden breathed quickly, "I change your attack target to Bladeedge!"

"It won't change a thing." Zane said.

"I'm not done Zane! I activate my quick-spell Battle x2! If my opponent's monster has more than two times my monster's attack points, I can double my monster's attack!" Bladeedge (ATK 5200/DEF 1800)

"Jaden held on…Even if the attack goes through Jaden will have life-points left. Power Bond's effect will activate at the end of the turn, and Zane will lose the duel." Syrus's heart was pounding against his skin, as he realized his brother had been beaten. The looming figure in the white jacket, who Syrus would never be close to surpassing, was defeated, by a Slifer Red.

Alexis put her hands on her head. Even for Jaden, beating Zane seemed like an impossible task. But the boy had made the impossible possible. He defeated the invincible.

"You really are something," Zane muttered, "But I don't intend to lose."

He held one card in his hand, which he held up for Jaden to see. Jaden looked nervously at the card, preparing for the worst.

"I activate Battle Fusion. Now your monster's attack points are added to Cyber End Dragon's own!" (ATK 13200/DEF 2800)

The field was engulfed in a huge vortex, as holographic smoke surrounded the catwalk. Alexis and Syrus held their breath, waiting for the smoke to clear and the result to be revealed.

Slowly, the catwalk became visible, as the sight of the two duelists became clearer. Jaden burst out laughing, and Zane uncharacteristically joined him.

Jaden 0

Zane 3600

"13200 attack points?! You've got to be kidding me!" Jaden shouted, as he collapsed on to the ground, lying on the stone cold pavement. He thought he had the duel won, but Zane had read all his moves. He was unstoppable.

The Obelisk walked towards him, as he stood over Jaden holding his hand out.

Jaden promptly reached for it, getting back on his feet. "You're honestly the most complete duelist I've ever met Zane."

Zane chuckled lightly, "I have my flaws, Jaden. You almost had me beat…"

"Ugh, I know! I'll beat you next time!" Jaden declared, smiling.

"I'd like to see you try, Slifer scum," Zane joked, ruffling Jaden's hair, before turning towards his brother.

He didn't say anything, walking by Syrus as if he wasn't there, causing Jaden and Alexis to frown.

Syrus lowered his head, and like countless times before he wasn't able to raise it back up.

"Zane!" Syrus cried out, even though Zane kept walking, "I-I'm going to duel tomorrow. I know that it might seem impossible to win, but I have to try… Jaden didn't run from you even though you are the best duelist at the school…"

Zane stopped in his place, yet he refused to turn to face his brother.

Syrus's heart wavered at this, as he wanted to break down. No matter what he did his brother would always be disappointed in him. Although he managed to make his brother proud on by putting up a fight against Chumley, that was in the past. Why was he like this?

He then thought of how Jaden had stood up for him. He thought of how Chumley had stood up for him in front of Raizou, and tried to help him raise his confidence through dueling. He thought of how Alexis had tried to help him with dueling strategies earlier that day. His friends would never give up for him.

They were his friends. They believed in him…Yet, he was certain that he would eventually let them down, just like he let down his brother countless times. He was certain that he would let Jaden down the next day, when they dueled the Paradox Brothers. He could choose to run…Suddenly, Chumley's voice echoed through his sub-conscience.

' _I'm not saying that you'll be good enough if you keep trying, but if you give up you lose everything.'_

If Syrus ran, he was running from his friends. He was running from the experiences that he had had at Duel Academy. He would end up losing everything. He didn't want that.

"I don't' want to run anymore Zane…I'm tired of being a coward, but I still am. It's nothing something I can change overnight, okay? But, I want to try… That's why I-" Syrus froze, unable to say what he was thinking. He couldn't bring himself to tell his brother something that was clearly impossible. He couldn't let him down again.

Just at that moment, the boy in the white jacket turned to meet Syrus's eyes so suddenly. His blue eyes still cold and unwavering bore into Syrus.

For a moment, he wanted to disappear. He didn't want his brother to look at him with those eyes ever again, but then again he had told himself that he wouldn't run away…

"That's why I'm going to win tomorrow."

* * *

 **I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and please don't forget to review!**

 **Also, I used Plasma Vice's anime version.**

 **The next few chapters include:**

 **Jaden and Syrus dueling the Paradox Brothers.**

 **Alexis finding out more about the abandoned blue dorm.**

 **Nightshroud will be making an appearance.**

 **Jesse dueling.**

 **Midori dueling.**

 **The Duel Academy beauty pageant.**

 **Until next time!**


	7. I Don't Want To

**This took me longer to post than I expected. Anyways, here's the duel between Jaden, Syrus and the Paradox Brothers. Also, thanks for the reviews and PMs showing your support.**

 **This chapter is either my longest one so far. A lot of things happen.**

 **Please enjoy, and don't forget to review.**

* * *

"There's only five minutes left, Jay!" Syrus said nervously.

Jaden and Syrus were walking through a long corridor with white walls on each side of them. They were walking rather slowly, neither of them eager to reach the end of the corridor, where the arena waited for them.

Syrus felt more and more uneasy with every step they took. He could feel his heart pound within him, as he got mentally prepared for the biggest duel of his life.

He noticed that Jaden was awfully quiet, unlike his usual outgoing self. The brown-haired boy hadn't said much since they had met up after their last class of the day. Although Syrus couldn't blame him, this duel was just as important to Jaden as it was to him. Jaden was probably trying to focus on the duel, instead of wasting his time with small-talk.

"Yeah, I know," Jaden said in an almost emotionless tone.

Syrus took a quick glance at Jaden, before a worried expression formed on his face. Jaden seemed so distant. It was so unlike him. He just hoped that Jaden wasn't overwhelmed by their situation. If they had any chance of winning the duel, it was through Jaden.

"So, how are you holding up?" Syrus asked his partner, trying to get a reaction out of him.

"I'm fine," Jaden dismissed, continuing along at a steady pace.

A faint roar could be heard, and grew louder with every step. They were nearly there now.

"I still can't believe that Crowler invited the whole school to watch us duel." Syrus complained. Of course, everyone would jump at the chance to see the Paradox Brothers in action. That was understandable, but it didn't make things any less terrifying. He was bad with crowds, and hoped that he didn't embarrass himself too badly.

"Does that really matter?" Jaden asked. He couldn't care less. A million people could be watching, but that still didn't change what he was going to do out there. Win.

"Um, I mean it's kind of making me nervous…"Syrus trailed. That was an understatement. He was scared out of his mind. It was just too much. He was afraid of messing up and getting humiliated, especially because he knew that Zane would be watching.

He had told his brother that he would win the duel, and that he was tired of running from his problems, but somethings were easier said than done. Even now, Syrus was tempted to turn around and run away from all of it.

"It shouldn't make you nervous. We're winning." Jaden asserted with calmly.

Syrus was taken aback with how confident Jaden sounded. Did he really believe that they could win? Was he just saying this to make himself feel better?

They came to a halt at the end of the corridor, and Syrus looked at Jaden one last time. Jaden's expression was etched with resolve. Syrus wished that he could have the same resolve.

"I'm still scared, Jaden. What if we lose?" Syrus whimpered.

"Don't worry about what's going to happen if we lose. We're just here to win a card game, Sy. Nothing more." Jaden stated, before stopping for a moment. He seemed to considering something, "You've come too far to worry about unimportant things like losing. It'll only scare you and make you want to run. You told Zane you wouldn't run anymore."

Syrus nodded confidently, as he felt his fears dissolve within him. Jaden was right. He wasn't a coward anymore, and it was thanks to his friends. Chumley and Jaden had believed in him when no one else had, and he didn't want to let them down. No matter how strong the Paradox Brothers was, he couldn't give up.

"Thanks Jaden," Syrus expressed gratefully.

"We're not losing today," Jaden said calmly, his voice like a mountain in the middle of a storm, stepping forwards .

It was show time.

* * *

"Sorry I called you on such short notice," Alexis apologized, hoping that more people would join them later. She was missing Jaden's duel for this, not that she wanted to watch her friend duel. It was too nerve-wracking, and she didn't know if she could take it if he lost.

"Understandable. Blondes are known for their low intelligence, but I suggest that you notify me at least a day before next time." Bastion stated, leaning back on his chair.

Alexis clenched her hands into fists, trying to restrain her rage. She had to control her temper. She needed Bastion. He was the only one who had showed up.

"With that being said, welcome to the computer club's first meeting!" She announced, "There are a lot of computers here, so feel free to sit wherever you want."

"It doesn't matter to me, as long as it's not broken." Bastion said, remaining in his chair.

"Now I know some people are against hackers, but I actually think that hacking is a very useful skill to have around! That's what the club is going to focus on for a majority of the year. I don't know how skilled you are at hacking, so if you could let me know that would be great." Alexis spoke, trying to make sure everything she was saying made sense. She wasn't really big on computers, and only started this club to hack into the school system and find information on the abandoned blue dorm.

"I don't know how to answer that. Skilled is a very relative term. Most duelists at this school would consider you a skilled duelist since you are in Obelisk Blue, but professional duelists would not consider you a skilled duelist since you are only a student. Like I said, it's a very relative term." Bastion said.

"Can you hack into the school system?" Alexis asked bluntly in frustration. Why couldn't he give a simple answer like a normal person?

"Do you take me for a fool?" Bastion responded, shaking his head.

"Without getting caught by the school?" Alexis's expression brightened at the boy's response, and she decided to push her luck.

"You are seriously irritating me." Bastion groaned, "I am not a blonde, Alexis, so I don't have trouble doing simple tasks like hacking into the school system."

He could have been more polite with his response, but at least he had told her what she wanted to hear. That was good enough for her.

Hiding her grin, she gestured towards the computer on the desk behind Bastion. She challenged, "Prove it then."

"I will you stupid blonde." Bastion started up the computer. He would show her that she had criminally underestimated him.

After he had turned on the computer, his hands moved at a blistering pace across the keyboard, trying to finish as quickly as he could. The sooner he could finish the sooner he could prove her wrong.

'I can hack into the school system in my sleep.' Bastion thought. He then stopped himself. Mouthing slowly, "The school system?"

His fingers stopped moving, as he cursed internally. He couldn't believe it. He was almost tricked by a blonde.

Bastion swiveled his chair towards the girl who was innocently watching from her chair. He narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. "Is there any particular reason you want me to hack into the school system?"

"I-I just wanted to test your skills," Alexis spluttered, trying to remain as calm as she could. She didn't want to blow her cover.

"Isn't there any other way?" Bastion raised his eyebrows quizzically.

"Maybe, but you already started working on the school system." Alexis argued, secretly hoping that Bastion would stop with the questions and continue the task at hand.

Bastion knew that Alexis had an ulterior motive in having him hack the system, but it seemed like she didn't want to reveal it to him just yet. He knew that if he completed the task it would mean that she had tricked him into doing her bidding. He didn't want to give the blonde that satisfaction.

Even so, he did was curious to find out what she was planning…

After a few minutes, he let out a heavy sigh. "I'm done. Now, what would like me to do?"

"Now, I want to make sure you did a proper job. I'll have to ask you to leave your seat for a few minutes, while I check the computer." Alexis asserted.

"I don't trust you with the computer." Bastion said, causing Alexis to tense up. "If you mess anything up, the school will be notified that the system was hacked. If you want to make sure if I did a proper job, just look at the screen."

Her eyes turned towards the screen where she could see a list of test scores next to student names.

"Impressive. Can you open up the school's files on the abandoned dorm?" She conceded. She was dying to find out more about it, and looked like she would need Bastion's help. If she tried to mess with the controls on her own, they could get caught by the school.

"That's why you wanted me to hack the system." Bastion smirked. He knew that hacking the school system was a bizarre way to test his skills, and there was another motive behind trusting him with the task.

Alexis grimaced, as she realized she was unable to hide her true intentions from Bastion any longer. He had caught on. "Please, Bastion. I need to know what happened at the dorm."

"I assume that you know nothing about computers, and just started this club for that purpose as well," Bastion pursed his lips, causing her to wince. "I can't believe you were willing to use me like that."

She hung her head in shame, biting her lips fiercely. She felt terrible at how she tried to manipulate Bastion for personal use. She wouldn't blame him if he never wanted to see her again after this, but she still needed to know. "Bastion, please…"

"Actually I am curious as to why that dorm is abandoned and why students are not allowed to trespass. If you don't mind, I'd like to join your investigation." Bastion grinned.

Her eyes lit up at this. It would be very useful to have someone like Bastion to help her. He was capable of hacking the school system for crying out loud, which was a clear indication of how intelligent the boy was.

"You'd be willing to do that?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes, only on one condition, however." Bastion revealed, as Alexis nodded encouraging him to continue, "Disband this club, and never try to start a computer club again. You'll just end up making a fool of yourself."

Alexis gritted her teeth, annoyed at Bastion's remark. "I agree."

"Good." Bastion then read the words on the screen out loud, "The seven students residing at the abandoned blue dorm have reported to be missing. Atticus Rho-"

Alexis buried her face in her hands, shaking her head fiercely. The file had just confirmed what Zane had told her. Her brother was missing.

Bastion took a quick glance at Alexis, before turning towards the screen. That explained why she was desperate on opening the files. She wanted to know what happened to her brother.

"We have falsely notified the public that these students left on an exchange program in America. Although we have hired a reporter named Gerard, he has also gone missing, after entering the dorm. There are no reports of Gerard exiting the dorm. We believe there is something inside the dorm that could have caused the disappearance of Gerard and the students, although we are not certain. We wait for our chairman Kagemaru's decision regarding further investigation. The dorm is now off-limits for both students and staff. Trespassing can lead to severe punishment. In doing so, we can ensure the students' and the teachers' safety." Bastion finished.

The students hadn't left on an exchange program. They were missing. Something had caused them to disappear, and the school suspected that it was something within the dorm. That's why the students were forbidden to trespass.

"Now, what would cause them and that report to disappear?" Bastion wondered out loud. He was stumped, and for the first time in his life he felt like he didn't have a clue.

"I don't know. I went to the dorm a few weeks back, but the doors were locked…"Alexis added.

"That was very naughty of you." Bastion commented, "Although I guess going in the dorm is the best way to find out what happened."

"It's too dangerous. All these people have gone missing, because of what could be in that dorm." Alexis lamented.

"It's not for certain though." Bastion said. "I thought you wanted to know what happened to your brother."

"I do, but the door is locked." She repeated.

"Ever heard of a lock pick?" Bastion asked smugly.

* * *

"Welcome to an exhibition match between our very own Jaden Yuki and Syrus Truesdale and the Paradox Brothers." Crowler announced. It wasn't quite an exhibition match, however. If the two slackers lost, they would be expelled and gone from his hair forever.

There were mixed reactions from the crowd, as the two Slifers climbed on to the platform at the center of the arena. Some people cheered, showing their support for their fellow students. Others jeered at how the students chosen for the duel were Slifer Red students, and expected the Paradox Brothers to completely annihilate them.

"Oh yes, and one more thing before we get the duel started, Jaden and Syrus are at the verge of getting expelled." Crowler spoke in a very excited tone, "They have received a zero on three of their major exams, and if they receive another zero it means automatic expulsion. To make things interesting, I'll excuse all of these tests if they manage to win the duel, and I'll expel them if they don't!"

Midori scowled in her seat, as she heard students snickering around her. She clenched her hands into fists, glaring at the man in the blue blazer. Crowler didn't need to expose Jaden in front of the whole school.

"Good luck to Jaden and Syrus, but I think they'll need a lot more than luck to even get past the first turn." Crowler mocked, laughter erupting throughout the arena, "Also, good luck to the Paradox Brothers, not that they'll need it to win."

Two bald men in green and orange Chinese robes waved at the crowd, before they did a series of acrobatic flips on the stage. The crowd reacted with a deafening roar.

"The rules are simple. Both teams will start with 8000 life-points. There is no sharing of cards, unless they are already on the field. You cannot attack with your partner's monster, and there will be no battle phase until each duelist has finished their first turn. Is that understood?" Crowler asked.

"Yeah," The duelists answered.

"Very well, I would like to give one last thanks to Duel Academy's founder Seto Kaiba for inviting the Paradox Brothers to this exhibition match," Crowler acknowledged.

Despite having to wait for hours, he managed to get on the line with Kaiba's agent. He had convinced the agent that getting the Paradox Brothers to come to the island would be a good experience for the students that they could learn from. The agent then talked to Kaiba, who was happy to help out.

"Without further ado, the duel will commence." Crowler then jumped off the stage.

Jaden/Syrus 8000

Paradox Brothers 8000

"Jaden has to win…He just has to…" Mindy breathed, as she watched her friend from the crowd.

"You're just saying that, because you have a crush on him," Jasmine piped next to her, "I don't think that Jaden has a chance to be honest."

"Shut up, Jasmine. He's going to win," Mindy's nails pierced into her skin, as she clenched her fists tightly.

Back on the stage, Para, the brother in the orange robe, addressed his opponents, "Salutations, you fools."

"Hope you're ready to duel?" Dox asked.

"Hey, that rhymed," Jaden chuckled, "I draw!"

He knew he didn't need to do anything over the top just yet. No one was allowed to attack on their first turn, so he was safe until the end of his next turn.

"I summon Elemental Hero Prisma in attack mode!" A winged soldier made solely out of azure crystals appeared on the field. (ATK 1700/DEF 1100)

"I'll end my turn." Jaden finished.

"You summon that? Hilarious, I summon Jirai Gumo in attack mode!" Para spoke after he drew.

A giant brown spider emerged in front of Para. (ATK 2200/DEF 100)

"I'll set a face-down card, and finish my turn." Para said.

"Get ready to crash and burn." Dox rhymed.

"Seriously, again with the rhyming?" Syrus asked in disbelief.

"We are brothers who like to rhyme."

"In fact, we do it all the time!"

"Ugh, well it's my turn." Syrus spoke, drawing his next card. "I summon Gyroid in defense mode."

A blue cartoonish helicopter took a kneeling position in front of Syrus. (ATK 1000/DEF 1000)

"That's it for now." Syrus concluded.

Dox drew, before he said, "The best defense is a good offense. I summon Kaiser Seahorse in attack mode."

A blue sea warrior holding a spear and shield was summoned to the field. (ATK 1700/DEF 1650)

Dox continued, "I choose to play a spell card from my hand. Tribute Doll! To activate it, I must sacrifice one monster on the field. Good thing my brother is so generous with his."

The two brothers then nodded at each other. "Farwell Jirai Gumo."

The spider was enveloped by dark vines. The vines then compressed together, destroying Jirai Gumo.

"Now I'm allowed to summon a level 7 monster this turn, and I choose to summon Kazejin!"

In its place, as a green mechanical ball with arms sticking out of its side and a Japanese kanji at its center took stage. (ATK 2400/DEF 2200)

'They summoned a level 7 monster on their first turn, and all Syrus has done is summon a damn helicopter.' Zane thought, as he watched his brother duel.

"Do you actually think you know anything of this game?" Para mocked.

"You're losers. You're jokes. In other words, 'you're lame' Dox smirked.

Syrus tried to ignore their taunts, but it wasn't working. Dox had just sacrificed his brother's monster to summon a stronger one on to their field. They were working together perfectly, and Syrus was worried that they were too weak to beat the Paradox Brothers.

Jaden didn't seem to have that problem. He wasn't losing today.

After he drew, Jaden began to study his hand, before he was interrupted by his opponents. "I activate the trap card Thunder of Ruler." Para interjected, "Your battle phase this turn is already over.

"Your luck's running out. You don't even have a four-leaf clover." Dox piped in.

Jaden ignored this and continued his turn "I activate Polymerization to fuse Avian and Burstinatrix from my hand to summon Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!" A green hero with a red dragon arm took its place next to Prisma. (ATK 2100/DEF 1200)

"It's still too weak to do any damage." Para commented.

"Perhaps you should have attended college," Dox chimed in.

"Dude, I'm only fifteen!" Jaden told Dox, "I activate Fusion Recovery, so I can add Polymerization and Burstinatrix to my hand."

'What are you planning, Jay?' Syrus thought to himself, hoping that Jaden could turn things around.

"I use Prisma's effect, so I send Elemental Hero Sparkman from my deck to the graveyard, and my Prisma's name becomes Elemental Hero Sparkman until the end phase." Jaden smirked, "I activate Polymerization again to fuse my fake Sparkman and Flame Wingman , so here comes Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman!"

A blinding light illuminated the field as a hero in white armor and grand wings hovered over everything on the field. (ATK 2500/DEF 2100)

"Way to go, Jay! Now, Shining Flare Wingman is the strongest monster on the field!" Syrus cheered.

" Get this! Shining Flare Wingman gets 300 attack points for each Elemental Hero in the graveyard, and I count four of them!" The silhouettes of Avian, Flame Wingman, Sparkman, and Prisma loomed behind the white warrior. (ATK 3700/DEF 2100)

"A lucky move!" Para exclaimed in frustration.

"You still have a lot to prove." Dox breathed.

Zane smirked, admiring Jaden's undeniable talent. He was keeping Syrus in the duel single handedly. 'Very impressive.'

Para added the next card in his deck into his hand. "I sacrifice Kaiser Seahorse! In case you didn't know, when summoning a light attribute monster, Kaiser Seahorse's sacrifice counts as two instead of one, which is why I can summon Sanga of Thunder!" The monster was merely a bronze armored top with arms sticking out of its side. (ATK 2600/DEF 2200)

"What will you do now? Oh, how I wonder." Dox grinned.

"Now, my Sanga will attack Gyroid," Para declared, as the armored top hurled towards the helicopter as its fists collided with Gyroid. Somehow Sanga couldn't even put a dent a Gyroid.

"This is preposterous! It should have been destroyed!" Dox cried.

"My Gyroid can't be destroyed in battle, just once per turn," Syrus let out a sigh of relief.

"I will set a face-down card, so it's your turn now." Para told his opponent.

"You can try to win, but I don't see how." Dox jeered.

"I don't know what's worse: your rhyming or your haircuts!" Jaden poked, causing both Para and Dox to chuckle in good humor.

"Anyways, it's my turn now, so I'll draw," Syrus proceeded, "I summon Ambulanceroid in defense mode!"

A cartoonish ambulance parked itself next to Gyroid. (ATK 300/DEF 1200)

"I'll set a face-down and end my turn," Syrus didn't know what else he could do. He figured he would play defensive, and leave the offense to Jaden who seemed to be on a roll.

"Kazejin attack Ambulanceroid!" Dox pointed at the vehicle. Kazejin began to spin in circles until a tornado enveloped the level 7 monster. It propelled forward, colliding with Amublanceroid and destroying it on contact.

"I will place a face-down card, and leave it to you." The brother in the green robe said passively.

"Do you try your best, and show us what you can do," Para added.

Jaden's hand flew across his face, holding the card he had just drawn. "My Shining Flare Wingman will attack Kazejin! Oh, and did I mention my hero's special effect? When it destroys a monster in battle, that monster's attack points is deduced from your life-points!"

"Yes!" Mindy got up from her seat, pumping her fists into the air. She was really happy for Jaden. He was dueling so well.

She was joined by other students who had also got off their seats to cheer on Jaden. It was really impressive how he was single handedly giving the Paradox Brothers trouble.

Crowler gritted his teeth together, shaking in rage. This was not a part of the plan.

"Nice try, but you will not be successful. Kazejin's has an effect as well. If it's attacked, the attacking monster's attack points fall all the way down to zero!" Dox explained.

"You know what that means, so say goodbye to your hero!" Para cheered.

Shining Flare Wingman (ATK 0/DEF 2100)

Jaden's dark brown eyes would not waver, as he put all his concentration into the duel and slammed a spell card on to his duel disk. "I activate a quick-spell from my hand: Effect Shut! Now, your monster's effect is negated!"

Shining Flare Wingman (ATK 3700/DEF 2100)

The crowd began to roar, admiring how Jaden kept persevering, even when his strategy was countered.

Syrus looked at his partner in awe. Jaden was an amazing duelist. He always knew that Jaden was good, but something was different about him today.

Jaden hadn't burst out laughing or openly complimented the Paradox Brothers like he did with all of his other opponents. He would normally have fun dueling, but today Jaden didn't seem to be enjoying this duel as much as his other duels.

Earlier, Jaden was so reserved with his words and seemed more to himself. He only spoke when he had to and wasn't his usual cheerful self. Even so, Jaden was confident that they could win. Now that Syrus thought about it, he understood why Jaden had behaved that way.

Jaden was taking this duel seriously. He didn't want to lose.

"I'll give it everything I have just to win this duel for you, Sy" Jaden told his partner, "We're not going home."

* * *

"What do you think is hiding behind those doors?" Alexis asked.

The two of them were trekking through the forest that surrounded the abandoned dorm. They were almost there, and they could see the building now. Even though Alexis had been here before, the old trees and their unmoving, dying branches was still spooky.

"A murderer I assume," Bastion theorized, causing Alexis to gasp and smack him across the face.

"How can you say that?! My brother isn't…" She began shaking with repressed emotion.

Atticus hadn't even said goodbye. He couldn't leave her. She quickly pushed down her feelings before they could overwhelm her.

"Unless you have a better theory," Bastion said emotionlessly.

Alexis bit her lips, unable to come up with anything. She let out a sigh of frustration. She was stumped, and the only way they would be able to find out anything was if they went inside the abandoned dorm.

"I guess not," Bastion said, "We're almost there. Did you bring the paper clip and the wrench?"

"Yeah, they're my pockets," Alexis assured the Ra Yellow.

"You don't have any pockets," Bastion commented, looking down at her skirt.

"I mean my back pocket!"

"Oh, good. I was worried for a second." Bastion told her, "I need those things to make the lock pick."

Alexis nodded. Even though he would get under her skin, she was glad that someone as resourceful as Bastion was helping her out. She had found out more about the abandoned dorm today than she had the whole school year.

"Wait a minute…Is that?" Bastion then pulled Alexis on to the ground and behind a bush, covering her mouth with his hand, so that she wouldn't make any noise.

Bastion then put his finger on his lips to signal her to stay silent. He then pointed towards the abandoned dorm.

The two of them poked their heads slightly above the bush. They could see a tall, skinny man with dark hair and glasses walking towards the abandoned dorm.

"Is that professor Banner?!" Alexis hissed, "What's he doing here?"

"That's my question." Bastion whispered.

The professor walked towards the dorm's doors. He then stopped, looking over his shoulder. The man then took out something shiny from his pocket.

"It's some kind of key," Bastion noted, as Banner attached the object on to the door and twisted it.

He pulled the door open, before removing the key and disappearing into the darkness inside the dorm. The professor shut the door behind him.

Alexis continued to stare with her mouth open in complete shock. Professor Banner, their normally laid-back and goofy history teacher, had just gone into the dorm. He also seemed to have the key to the dorm, which was just as shocking. What part did he have in this?

"We have to leave," Bastion told her.

"Wait…why? What's going on?" Alexis asked the boy.

"That's exactly what I plan to find out."

* * *

"I will open my reverse card Waboku!" Para reacted, "It protects us from battle damage, and Kazejin will not be going to the grave."

Shining Flare Wingman was enveloped in a blinding light, as it charged towards Kazejin. The hero collided with the machine, causing the stadium to be covered in holographic smoke.

Eventually, the smoke cleared and Kazejin remained on the field, without a single dent on it.

"Thanks bro, that was quite a save," Dox said.

"That was so close!" Syrus exclaimed. Even though the attack was blocked, the blue-haired Slifer felt something spark within him.

Jaden was doing everything he could to win the duel for him. He was focused on winning the duel, and didn't seem to care if he had fun or not. It was so unlike him, but Jaden was doing it so that the both of them wouldn't have to leave the school. They wouldn't have to go home. Syrus was grateful to have such an incredible friend like Jaden.

It would be disappointing if Syrus couldn't do anything to help his friend and return the favor. Even so, he wasn't sure how he could help Jaden right now. All he could do was keep playing defensive.

"I set two face-down cards and end my turn," Jaden concluded. His field consisted of Shining Flare Wingman and two face-down cards. Only a single card remained in Jaden's hand, and it was the Elemental Hero Burstinatrix he had brought back into his hand through Fusion Recovery.

'He used his trap card to protect his brother. Their teamwork is respectable.' Zane noted, 'But, I have a feeling that Jaden is just getting started.'

From another section of the stadium, Mindy complained, "That was so close! I told you he was going to win, Jasmine!"

"Wow…That was impressive," Jasmine awed. Jaden had the Paradox Brothers on the ropes. He was in control of the duel.

"Come on, Jay! You got this!" Mindy clapped.

More students in the crowd began to cheer Jaden's name, clearly impressed by the Slifer's performance.

"I wish I was deaf!" Crowler lamented, covering his ears with his hands. Did that slacker ever lose?

Midori snickered at Crowler's reaction. She was proud of Jaden for stepping up and taking control of the duel. She knew that Jaden was good, but this was beyond her expectations.

It was only yesterday, when he had cried in her arms, scared of losing and leaving all his friends. It seemed that he had overcome his emotions to focus on winning the duel.

She smiled, watching the boy from afar. 'If only you were here to see him Koyo. He's grown up a lot.'

Back on the platform, the Paradox brothers laughed. "We have seriously underestimated this kid."

"I did not expect him to be this good. In fact, no one did." Dox rhymed once again.

"It's my turn. Therefore, I'll draw," Para said.

"I'll use a trap card: Call of the Haunted. I can bring back our old friend Kaiser Seahorse: the warrior who has no flaw." Dox revealed, as the blue, armored warrior returned to the field. (ATK 1700/DEF 1650)

"Thank you, brother. For now, I can activate the spell card Tribute Doll! I will tribute Kaiser Seahorse to summon Suijin from my hand!" Para spoke, as a blue creature that looked like a pair of blue legs with a mouth at its center was summoned to the field. (ATK 2500/DEF 2400)

"Now, we have Suijin, Kazejin, and Sanga of Thunder together on the field. Soon, we will be able to summon the most feared monster in the land!" Dox declared.

'They're planning to summon that card, huh? They already have the three specific monsters that they need to summon that legendary card. The question is: when are they planning to summon that card?' Zane wondered to himself.

"Suijiin attack Gyroid!" Suijin gave the blue helicopter a fierce kick, but the vehicle refused to break.

"We are aware that your copter is stronger than an average android," Dox claimed.

"It can survive an attack, but can it survive two?" Para smirked.

"I activate a trap card!" Syrus responded, "Supercharge lets me draw 2 cards!"

Despite this, Sanga of Thunder hurled towards Gyroid. Its fists smashed the helicopter into pieces.

"No it's too weak my brother, but what can we do?" Dox chuckled.

"I will end my turn with a face-down." Para ended, without summoning that legendary card.

"Hey, it's just a game. Don't frown!" Dox stepped in.

Syrus drew his seventh card. "I summon Truckroid in defense mode!"

A cartoonish truck with a red tractor and a white trailer positioned itself in front of Syrus. (ATK 1000/DEF 2000)

That was all he could do. It frustrated him that he couldn't be contributing to the duel more, but he didn't want to get in Jaden's way. All he could was trust that Jaden would win them the duel.

"I'll end my turn," Syrus finished.

Zane groaned amongst the crowd. Another turn had gone by, and all Syrus managed to do was summon a monster in defense mode. Syrus had told him that he'd win the duel. Zane wasn't aware that his brother planned to win by hiding behind Jaden. The older Truesdale wondered when his brother would step up, or if he would at all.

Dox grinned widely, drawing a card into his hand. "Three monsters on our side, what could be better?"

Para gave him a knowing look, "I know, brother, when they come together!"

"I sacrifice Sanga of Thunder, Suijin, and Kazejin so I can summon the legendary Gate Guardian!" Dox declared, as the three monsters were all enveloped by a blinding light.

'Shit, this is bad. I hope you know what you're dealing with Jaden…' Midori trailed. She had heard of the legendary monster before. The Paradox Brothers had supposedly used it against the great Yugi Muto and Joey Wheeler in the Duelist Kingdom tournament.

'So, this is when they decide to summon it?!' Zane's expression turned to one of concern for his brother and his friend.

A combination of the three monsters emerged on the field. Suijin formed its legs, Kazejin was its torso, and Sanga of Thunder shaped its head and arms. (ATK 3750/DEF 3400)

"Gate Guardian?! It's stronger than Shining Flare Wingman! H-how are we supposed to beat it?" Syrus lamented in panic, as he felt dread overwhelm him, "It's going to destroy Wingman and leave us defenseless! We'll lose the duel, and then we'll have to leave everything behind and go back home…"

"Syrus, don't worry about what's going to happen if we lose. Just focus on the duel." Jaden said, looking at him with a calm, but stern face, "We're not going home."

Syrus looked at Jaden incredulously. How could he say that with so much confidence?

"I activate Shield Crush!" Dox said, "With it I can destroy your truck!"

Syrus gasped as Truckroid suddenly broke down into pieces in front of their eyes.

"I guess you guys are running out of luck!"

"Gate Guardian will attack your hero!" Dox pointed. Water erupted from Suijin's mouth and shot towards the hero.

"Watch as it gets reduced into zero!" Para clapped.

"Reverse card open!" Jaden exclaimed, "Soul Union lets an Elemental hero on my field gain attack points equal to an Elemental Hero in my graveyard! I choose Elemental Hero Flame Wingman."

Shining Flare Wingman (ATK 5800/DEF 2100)

"Now, I activate my other face-down Battle Fusion! My Shining Flare Wingman gains attack points equal to your Gate Guardian's attack points!" Jaden declared with a confident smirk on his face.

Shining Flare Wingman (ATK 9550/DEF 2100)

Syrus stared with his mouth wide open. Jaden just kept getting better duel after duel, and now he was about to defeat two professional tag duelists almost single handedly. His strength was inspiring. He had overcome every obstacle to win the duel not only for himself, but Syrus as well.

"My Shining Flare Wingman is now strong enough to destroy Gate Guardian, and thanks to its effect, you guys take damage equal to Gate Guardian's attack points." Jaden asserted.

"Holy shit," Jasmine awed, "That means they take 9550 life-point damage in total, and they only have 8000 left!"

"He's sooo good…" Mindy drooled.

The crowd erupted into cheers, unable to believe that a Slifer Red student had brought the Paradox Brothers to the crushing hands of defeat.

Zane chuckled lightly. That Jaden kid sure was something.

"You're good indeed, so it shames me to do this. Yet, we can't lose this duel, we're professional duelists." Para spoke, "Reverse card open! Raigeki Break!"

"Thanks for saving my ass, brother. My heart was shaking like an earthquake," Dox let out a sigh of relief.

"I discard another Gate Guardian from my hand to destroy Shining Flare Wingman" Para announced.

"Now, the arena is quiet. I cannot hear even a single fan."

"Now, Gate Guardian will attack you directly!" Para declared.

"Don't be too smug, its attacks are pretty deadly."

Jaden/Syrus 4250

Paradox Brothers 8000

Jaden lowered his head dejectedly, clenching his hands into fists. He had done everything he could to try and win the duel, but he had failed. He was so close to landing the attack, but the Paradox Brothers proved to be too much for him.

They were professional duelists for a reason, and Jaden was foolish to think that he could come close beating them. He was foolish to think that he could help his friend.

Syrus trusted him to win the duel. Midori believed in him. Yet, he had let them down. As Gate Guardian loomed over him, Jaden felt helpless, every failure compounding itself within him.

He was always disappointing his friends and letting them down when it was most important. That's why Koyo was sick. He had been too careless, and Koyo had got hurt. Whether it was Koyo or Syrus, there was nothing he could do to save them now.

Why was he like this? Why couldn't he do anything right for once?

The brown-haired boy trembled ever so slightly trying to push this feeling of hopelessness away, but he couldn't.

"I'll end my turn and let you do your thing." Dox's voice was just white noise.

"Let us see what your turn will bring." More white noise.

He subconsciously drew, shaking weakly. "I summon Burstinatrix in defense mode and end my turn."

A lady in red spandex and long black hair under a golden tiara kneeled in front of Jaden. (ATK 1200/DEF 800)

"I activate Dark Designator," Para spoke, but Jaden zoned it out, lost in the darkness of his subconscious mind, "If I can name a card in my brother's deck correctly, he can add it to his hand. I'm going to guess Monster Reincarnation."

"How did you know I have that card? I guess you're a genius, congratulations," Dox grinned, adding the spell card into his hand.

"It's a shame I can't attack. For, Gate Guardian is Dox's monster." Para explained.

"Gate Guardian's mine. For, my name is Dox. I ain't no imposter."

"I'll end my turn just for you my four-eyed friend." Para told Syrus.

"Maybe this time you'll do more than just defend." Dox interjected.

Syrus bit his lips nervously, looking at Jaden. His partner had broken down completely. Jaden's eyes would not leave the ground, as he hung his head in despair. On his last turn, his voice was so lifeless. He had given up.

The blue-haired Slifer froze, overwhelmed at how doomed they really were.

"Poor Jaden," Mindy said quietly. It was awful to see him so upset, and she just wanted to hug him tightly, and comfort the boy.

Meanwhile, Zane growled under his breath, frustrated by the duel's developments. They were going to lose now that Jaden had given up. It looked like Jaden was just as weak as his brother, despite his talent. They would both break down under pressure, and the little chance they had of winning was gone. 'Pathetic.'

'Jaden…' Midori felt weak, as she watched the boy break down before her eyes. It was so unlike him to give up like that, and she suspected that his monster being destroyed wasn't the only reason he had broken down. It probably was a result of built up stress and had a lot to do with her brother.

Jaden blamed himself for putting Koyo in a coma, even though he had nothing to do with it. It wasn't his fault; it was that creature's. Even so, he was clearly torn up by the incident, and it had made him very emotionally vulnerable. She just wished there was something she could do to help the poor boy.

"I summon Decoyroid in defense mode." Syrus mustered weakly, as a small red racecar appeared next to Burstinatrix. (ATK 300/DEF 500)

"T-that's it for now…" Syrus stammered.

Crowler rubbed his hands together, laughing maniacally. He was worried at first, because Jaden had come out guns blazing, and had nearly won the duel too. But it seemed that Jaden had forgotten who he was dealing with. The Paradox Brothers were no ordinary duelists, and they definitely wouldn't lose to a bunch of slackers like those two.

His lips pursed ever so slowly into a sadistic grin, as he enjoyed every moment of this. It was so satisfying to see Jaden break down like this. It sent a thrill down Crowler's spine to see the normally cheerful and annoying Slifer have all his hopes crushed in front of his eyes.

Jaden had disrespected him more times than he could count. It had filled him with rage. Who did he think he was?

It didn't matter now, because it had become clear that Jaden was nothing. The whole school could see how worthless he really was, and it seemed that the boy did too.

"A toy car? Really? I expected much better," Dox jeered, draing the next card in his deck into his hand.

"I suppose you're softer than a teddy bear sweater," Para said.

"I activate Monster Reincarnation, so I must discard my Sangan to the graveyard. Now I am allowed add Kazejin back into my hand." Dox continued, "I will then use Ancient Rules and from my hand I special summon the great Kazejin!"

The green mechanical ball with arms stick out of its side returned to field once more. (ATK 2400/DEF 2200)

"Once it attacks you'll be in for a spin." Para commented.

"Kazejin attack that toy car!" Dox said, as it began to spin in circles until a tornado engulfed the machine. The tornado charged towards Decoyroid, breaking into pieces.

"Ouch, that ought to leave a scar."

"We are not done yet. Gate Guardian will attack Burstinatrix. Go extinguish that fire! " Gate Guardian unleashed a torrent of water from the midsection between its legs, as Burstinatrix was engulfed by the water, not to be seen again.

"I recommend that you two retire."

"I'll end my turn. Go on, make a move."

"Honestly, you have nothing to prove."

"I-I-I summon Wroughtweiller in defense mode..." Jaden stammered, his hands visibly shaking. A grey mechanical dog sat in front of Jaden. (ATK 800/DEF 1200)

"I end my turn…" Jaden trailed off.

"Ha! Pathetic!" Crowler howled laughing, as some of the students around him hesitantly joined in. This was the guy who had supposedly beat Crowler and Chazz Princeton. Yet all that he managed to do was hide behind some weird looking dog.

Jaden put his hands on his head, as he could hear jeers and laughter from the crowd around him. Is this what he had become? Was he nothing more than a joke?

"I will draw and use Monster Reborn to bring back the creature Suijin back to the field." Para started his turn. The pair of blue legs with a mouth at its midsection came back to the stage. (ATk 2500/DEF 2400)

"You've broken down, and now you cannot be healed."

"Attack my Suijin put that dog to rest." The creature kicked Wroughtweiller ferociously. The dog howled in pain before it was destroyed.

"That was not even a test."

"I c-can add Sparkman and P-polymerization back to my hand when this card's destroyed in battle," Jaden spoke weakly.

"That doesn't matter. In fact, I'll end my turn." Para taunted, "You fools are pathetic, and it's kind of one-sided now."

"When you're expelled, don't forget to say ciao."

Zane got off his seat. It would be a waste of time to watch this duel any longer. He knew exactly how it would end.

The Paradox Brothers would continue to destroy Jaden and Syrus, and would inevitably win the duel. The duel was interesting at first. But since Jaden's mental breakdown, it was clear that his brother would not be staying at the academy.

He glared at Syrus, slowly walking away. He didn't know why he was so angry. It wasn't like he expected Syrus to actually beat the professional duelists.

Zane figured that he just expected too much out of his brother, and he didn't know why. Syrus would let him down every damn time.

Back on the stage, both Jaden and Syrus hung their heads in hopelessness, their eyes not leaving the ground.

It was Syrus's turn, but he would rather surrender than draw his next card. He didn't want to suffer any longer.

He remembered earlier, when Jaden was so confident that they would win. His friend had given it everything he had to try and win the duel, but he had come up short. Jaden had fought so hard for him, and Syrus was unable to return the favor.

He had convinced himself that he wouldn't run from his problems, but that didn't mean he knew how to deal with them.

A pang of guilt grew within Syrus. His friend had tried to win a duel that seemed impossible to win from the start for him. Yet, Syrus had given up without a fight. He had let his friend down.

Before he came to the academy, Syrus didn't know if it was possible for a socially awkward person like him to have any friends. Even so, Jaden and the others accepted him so readily.

He then recalled how Chumley had beaten up Raizou in the gym locker room and stood up for him. Chumley had even dueled him, trying to cheer him up and raise his morale.

Syrus thought of how Jaden had stood up to Zane, and was brave enough to challenge the Obelisk to a duel. Even though it was nearly impossible for Jaden to beat Zane, the Slifer didn't give up, and nearly won the duel.

His friends were so good to him. They were the greatest friends that he could ask for and they were willing to do anything for him. Why wasn't he able to return the favor?

Looking up, he noticed Zane getting up from his seat and walking towards the tunnel. Syrus sighed deeply. His heart aching, he realized that he had let his brother down again.

Why was he like this? Why was he always disappointing Zane?

Syrus turned his focus back to the duel. Well on the bright side, he literally had nothing to lose. He then stopped himself.

He was wrong.

He had a lot at stake. If he lost, he would lose his friends. His friends fought so hard for him and it made him feel like they truly did care. Why couldn't Zane care as much as his friends did?

Zane would always get angry with him for never being good enough and always left Syrus to solve his own problems.

" _But, you put up one hell of a fight"_

His brother's words echoed in his mind, as Syrus pictured how Zane at grinned at him, after his duel with Chumley. Zane was proud of him, because he had fought his hardest.

Zane wasn't too disappointed that he lost anyways, because he had tried his best. Even though Chumley had won, Syrus didn't give up. Zane didn't care if Syrus was the worst duelist in the world. Syrus could lose every duel, and Zane would be okay with it, as long as Syrus did everything in his power to try and win. That way Zane could see that Syrus cared about winning. It was the same for his friends.

Jaden and Chumley had tried their best to help him, because they cared about him, and it would be rude if he didn't return the favor.

Syrus drew Power Bond into his hand. It was the card that his brother had given him, and he would make sure he would use it to its full potential. He lifted his head with a newfound resolve etched on to his face.

"Like you said, Jay," Syrus asserted, "We're not going home. We are home."

Jaden raised his head ever so slightly, taken aback but Syrus's sudden determination.

"I activate Power Bond!" Syrus exclaimed.

Zane stopped in his tracks.

"I fuse Drillroid, Steamroid, and Submarineroid from my hand to fusion summon Super Vehcroid Jumbo Drill!" Syrus declared, "And thanks to Power Bond's effect its attack doubles!"

A gigantic, pink and purple creature with the body of a train, an enormous drill at its nose, and a periscope and fins on the top of its head rolled on to the field. (ATK 6000/DEF 2000)

The stadium went silent. The audience was shocked at how that pathetic Slifer was able to summon such a powerful monster.

Zane turned around, staring at the stage, shaking his head in disbelief.

"W-where did this come from? I thought you only played defensive!" Para struggled to speak, startled by what just happened.

"I didn't know that you could be this offensive!" Dox gasped.

"Vehcroid Jumbo Drill attack Gate Guardian!" The machine's large drill pierced through Gate Guardian's torso, causing the monster to explode.

Jaden/Syrus 4250

Paradox Brothers 5750

Zane chuckled, walking back to his seat. It looked like things were just getting interesting.

* * *

They had returned to the computer room, and Bastion was typing furiously, searching for answers.

"I don't get it." Alexis prompted, "What does professor Banner have to do with any of this?"

"More thank you think," Bastion said matter-of-factly, "Earlier, you told me that the door was locked, when you visited the dorm a few weeks back, and fifteen minutes ago we saw Banner open the door with some kind of key."

"Go on," Alexis encouraged, not quite sure what Bastion was getting at.

"I was going to, but thanks for the unnecessary encouragement," Bastion hissed, clearly annoyed at getting interrupted, "Plus, the school files told us that they hired a reporter, Gerard, to investigate the dorm. It also explicitly states that Gerard entered the dorm, without any mention of a key."

"So? Maybe, they forgot. The key seems like such an irrelevant detail, so it wouldn't be surprising if they forgot." Alexis argued.

"Perhaps, you are an irrelevant detail," Bastion scoffed, as Alexis glared at him, "Although all dorms at the school are left open all the time, there are still keys to them. These keys are assigned to a specific teacher. Miss Hibiki has the keys to the Slifer Red Dorm, or its lounge anyways, since the dorm is pretty much a motel. Mr. Crowler has the keys to the Obelisk Blue boy's dorm, while Miss Fontaine has the keys to the Obelisk Blue girl's dorm. As for Ra Yellow-"

"What's your point Bastion?"

"The keys to the abandoned blue dorm were assigned to Lyman Banner."

"How do you even know this?"

Bastion then pointed at the computer screen in front of him, where Alexis could see a large block of text reading 'Dorm Key Assignments.'

"You hacked into the school files again?"

"No, all of this is fake, and I was just pretending to type on the keyboard for the last few minutes," Bastion said sarcastically.

Alexis just rolled her eyes at this.

"If you look closely, there are dates for when Slifer, Ra, and Obelisk dorms got their keys. There are reports of them losing these keys, and dates for when these keys were replaced. Yet for the abandoned dorm, Banner only had one key. He never lost it, and it was never replaced."

Alexis leaned towards the screen and saw that what Bastion was saying was true.

"Didn't you notice how Banner looked over his shoulder before opening the door? It seemed to me as if he was worried about being watched." Bastion continued.

"Well in his defense, we were spying on him," Alexis pointed out.

"It was almost like Banner wasn't supposed to be there, which would make sense since even the staff is prohibited from trespassing. Yet, he still had that key. "Bastion explained.

"Okay so?"

"Gerard entered the dorm when it was open or he was given the key. I assume the dorm was open, since Gerard never made it out of the dorm. If Gerard was given a key, it would have been lost when he went missing, but the school files say that Banner never lost his key." Bastion deduced, "That means Banner locked up the dorm sometime between when Gerard went missing and when you visited the dorm by yourself."

"Maybe he locked up the dorm, because he didn't want anything to get out. If there's someone or something dangerous in there then it's better to keep it in there." Alexis reasoned.

"Then, why did he enter the dorm, just today?" Bastion questioned, as he began to type once more.

"I-I don't know," Alexis told him.

"We're about to find out." Bastion pointed at the screen once more.

"Is that his e-mail?!"

* * *

"W-what's happening?!" Crowler exploded, "When did that stammering Slifer learn to duel?!"

The spectators were glued to their seat, as they stared at the stage in shock. It had looked like things were hopeless for the two students. It had looked like the Paradox Brothers had the duel won. It had looked like they were going home. Yet to everyone's surprise, Syrus, not Jaden, the visibly scared and nervous Slifer, had given them a lifeline.

"I'll set a face-down card and activate Emergency Provisions," Syrus couldn't stop now. "I can send my face-down card, Polyermization to the graveyard, so that we can recover 1000 life-points!"

Jaden/Syrus 5250

Paradox Brothers 5750

The students in the arena slowly got on their feet, applauding Syrus's efforts, causing the Slifer to flush. They were cheering for him, and he felt his tense shoulders loosen as he stuck out his chest with pride.

Syrus then stopped himself. He couldn't get too caught up in the moment, or he would end up messing up the duel. He should have known that better than anyone. It was his emotions that had caused him to fail in the past, and he couldn't afford to make the same mistake, especially not when Jaden was counting on him. Syrus then pushed down his emotions with a bit of difficulty; he could save them for after the duel.

"I'll place a face-down and end my turn." Syrus breathed, "Unfortunately, we take 3000 damage because of the effect of Power Bond…"

Jaden/Syrus 2250

Paradox Brothers 5750

"Ha! I knew Power Bond seemed too good to be true." Dox snickered, drawing his next card.

"Yet, I'm surprised. At first it looked like you had no clue!"

"I change Kazejin to defense mode, and place a face-down to conclude." Dox sighed.

"I mean that's all we can do, what else can we include?" Para shrugged.

It was Jaden's turn.

Syrus looked at his partner, hoping that his last turn had sparked something within Jaden. Yet Jaden's eyes would not leave the ground, as his hand lifelessly drew his next card.

"I'll end my turn." Jaden did not play a single card in his hand.

"Jaden…" Syrus said his name with worry, but the boy was in no condition to answer.

"Damn it!" Zane let out, as the students around him gave the Obelisk funny looks. He never thought he'd be saying this but, "Snap out of it Jaden! You're holding Syrus back…"

"It looks your friend is out of commission." Para mocked, drawing from his deck.

"I guess we'll win and finish our mission," Dox chimed in, causing Syrus to bite his lips anxiously.

He had turned the duel around the best he could, but he was still relying on Jaden to win them the duel. Syrus only hoped that he could hold off the brothers until Jaden could recover, although it seemed unlikely, considering that Jaden was completely out of it.

"I change Kazejin to defense mode. I will place a face-down card in my trap and spell zone," Para worded.

"Your friend is more useless than a pinecone!" Dox chuckled.

Syrus shook his fists at Dox's remark, as he drew from his deck. He took a deep breath, relaxing himself. He would do everything he could to get Jaden back into the duel.

"Changing your monsters into defense mode won't really make a difference," Syrus smirked, "My Super Vehcroid Jumbo Drill does piercing damage!"

"Oh shucks, we should have thought twice!" Para answered.

"Attack Kazejin!" Syrus pointed as the pink and purple machine charged towards Kazejin.

"Reverse card open! Sakuretsu Armor activates when my opponent declares an attack and destroys the attacking monster! It looks like there's no dice!" Dox claimed.

Syrus clenched his fists in frustration. They had found a way to destroy his strongest monster, and stop him from attacking. They were being outmatched, and it didn't seem like long, before the duel would be over.

He then had one last looked at Jaden who wasn't moving, staring blankly ahead of him. It was shocking to see his cheerful friend so despondent.

"Snap out of it Jaden! We can still win this duel…" Syrus yelled, "I activate a quick-spell from my hand: De-Fusion!"

Super Vehcroid Jumbo Drill split up into cartoonish drill car, grey train, and a blue submarine with eyes planted at its front appeared on to the field.

Drillroid (ATK 1600/DEF 1600)

Steamroid (ATK 1800/DEF 1800)

Submarineroid (ATK 800/DEF 1800)

"You might have cancelled the effect of Sakuretsu Armor, but your monsters are now too weak."

"You left them in attack mode?! I pity your chances of winning. Your situation is nothing but bleak!"

Syrus stared at three machines on the field. He began to grow nervous, trembling. He couldn't let up now, but at the same time one mistake would cost him the entire duel. He had to execute his attacks perfectly. It terrified him how he could mess up and lose everything that Jaden and he had fought for up to now.

He wasn't the hero type; that was Jaden. He wasn't made for these high pressure situations, and would usually crumble mentally. This was his one and only chance to overcome the pressure and take control of the duel…If he didn't take it now, when would he ever?

"Drillroid attack Suijin!" Syrus declared, as the machine's drills began to spin rapidly.

"Now you're just desperate to land an attack!" Para taunted.

"Drillroid's still too weak. You must be on crack!"

Syrus grinned ever so slightly, "When Drillroid attacks a monster in defense position, it's destroyed before damage calculation!"

The machine's sharp drills pierced through Suijin, as the creature was destroyed on contact.

"H-h-how?!" Para stammered.

"W-w-wow." Dox rhymed, even at a moment like this.

"Steamroid will attack Kazejin! When Steamroid attacks it gains 500 attack points, and now it has 2300 attack points in total, while your Kazejin only has 2200 defense points!" Syrus breathed.

The train charged towards the green machine. The force behind the collision caused Kazejin to break into pieces, which eventually faded from the field.

The roars of the crowd grew louder. They chanted Syrus's name on the top of their lungs cheering on the underdog. Syrus beamed, as for the first time in a while he felt like he was worth something.

"Submarineroid will attack you directly!" Syrus said, as the vehicle submerged into the ground, before popping up in front of Dox, and striking him on the chest.

Jaden/Syrus 2250

Paradox Brothers 4950

"When my Submarineroid attacks, I can change it into defense mode!" Syrus explained, "I end my turn."

"Go Syrus!" Mindy cheered, hoping that Syrus could carry her Jaden to victory.

'Who knew he had it in him?' Midori smiled faintly, watching Syrus doing everything he could to keep Jaden in the duel. It seemed that Jaden had a great friend in Syrus who was willing to put everything on the line for him. Even though Syrus was always nervous and worried, it seemed that he had put all of that aside just for this duel.

Zane watched in silence, as he nodded in approval. Never before had he been prouder of his brother. He was amazed by what his brother could do. Zane was certain. The kid wouldn't give up on his friend.

He only wished that he could do the same, but he had given up on finding Atticus and Fuji. They were just a part of his memory that would just make him upset.

Syrus still had a long way to go before he surpassed him in terms of dueling skills, but in a way his little brother already had surpassed him.

"I draw a card," Dox said, "I play the spell Dark Element. This card can only be activated if we have a Gate Guardian in our graveyard! We pay half our life-points to special summon a monster that cannot be destroyed in battle! This is the end."

"Dark Guardian we command you to ascend!"

Jaden/Syrus 2250

Paradox Brothers 2475

A dark smoke covered the field, taking shape and forming an armored man. The man was riding some sort of mechanical spider and held a gigantic axe in his hand. (ATK 3800/DEF 3450)

"Attack Drillroid!" Dox declared, as the creature crawled towards the drill car, brandishing its axe.

"Watch as your monster is destroyed!"

"Not so fast," Syrus revealed, "I activate my trap Life Force! Every time we're supposed to take battle damage, we pay 400 life-points instead. That's a small price to pay, since the difference between Drillroid and Dark Guardian's attack points is huge!"

Jaden/Syrus 1850

Paradox Brothers 2475

"I end my turn. You survive but how much longer will you last?" Dox challenged.

"You've dueled well, but your friend is still aghast." Para pointed at Jaden.

Syrus turned towards Jaden, who still hadn't budged. He encouraged, "Come on, Jay! I need you…Only Dark Guardian and 2500 life-points stands in our way. We can really do this!"

"W-what's the point?" Jaden said after a while. "I failed…The only reason we're still in this duel is because of you Syrus. I was supposed to be the one protecting you, but it ended up being the other way around."

"Protecting? Who said anything about protecting anyone? We're a team Jaden. You don't need to protect me. We have to work together to win this. I can only do so much by myself." Syrus told him.

"No…You don't get it. This was supposed to be my chance to prove myself. I'm always letting my friends down. I wanted to prove to myself that I could protect my friends from harm by winning this duel, but I failed." Jaden answered dejectedly.

"Why would you want to prove that? Isn't it enough if we win the duel, regardless of how we do it?" Syrus wondered, before his tone shifted to one of sincerity, "And Jaden, what do you mean you're always letting your friends down? You've been there for me and supported me more times than I can count."

"A long time ago my friend went into a coma and it all my fault… I really messed up. Ever since then I didn't want to let anything harm my friends again, especially not myself. But, I messed up and made things worse for you Sy. If you hadn't turned this duel around, we would be expelled, and it would be my fault." Jaden trailed, refusing to meet Syrus's eyes.

"Jaden, the only reason I was able to turn things around is because of you! You didn't let me down. You inspired me to do better." Syrus explained, "You stood up to my brother, Zane Truesdale: the best duelist in the school. I don't know if you know this, but that was what inspired me to show up today. You didn't run from Zane, and I decided I wouldn't run from this duel. You put everything on the line and dueled your heart out just to win this duel for me, when I was too weak to get things going. You gave me the strength to believe in myself."

Jaden stared at Syrus in amazement; he couldn't help but feel a tinge of pleasure at what he had just heard. He hadn't failed; his actions had led to some good after all. He had inspired someone as shy and fearful as Syrus into some much more.

"I thought you were stronger than this, Jaden." Syrus urged, "Think about it! We're on the verge of beating two professional duelists. If we win, we're that much closer to the pro leagues. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

He had promised Koyo that they would duel again…He had promised that he would rise all the way up to the pro league, and they would duel then.

It was unlikely that Jaden would keep this promise, since it was unlikely that Koyo would ever wake up again…

Yet, he looked at how easily he had broken down. Koyo would be ashamed to see him give up like that.

"I draw." Jaden asserted, raising his head for the crowd to see. He smirked to everyone's surprise. He wasn't going home just yet. "I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman in defense mode!"

A blue warrior in golden armor held balls of lightening in his palms as it emerged on to the field. (ATK 1600/DEF 1400)

"I'll throw down two face-downs and that's it for now." Jaden finished. It wasn't much, but that was all he could manage for now.

"It is my turn. Therefore, I draw," Para proclaimed, "It looks like life has returned to your eyes."

"Don't worry, on my turn, I'll make sure it dies."

"I'll place a face-down card, and end my turn." Para continued, "Now I have two face-down cards!"

"We advise you to keep up your guards."

Syrus quickly drew, before he began to speak, "I change Submarineroid into attack mode and attack you directly!"

Jaden/Syrus 1850

Paradox Brothers 1675

"My submarine will change into defense mode, since it just attacked. I'll place a face-down and end my turn!" Syrus concluded, a faint smile etched on to his face. They had taken their first lead of the duel.

Midori pumped her fists in the air, as she felt her heart relax. Syrus had snapped Jaden out of his breakdown, and it seemed like Jaden was slowly getting back into the duel. They made a surprisingly good team.

Dox drew, shaking his head in frustration. Two amateur duelists were currently beating them. It was true that they were good, but he had his pride as a professional on the line. He wouldn't be embarrassed in front of all these students by losing to these two fools, "My Dark Guardian will attack that annoying submarine."

Dark Guardian hurled its axe like a boomerang, as it sliced Submarineroid in half, before the machine's hologram faded.

"Good move my brother. That was quite a scene!"

"I will now activate Necromancy! I can randomly special summon four monsters from your grave on to your side of the field." Dox explained as he looked at Jaden, "Now, I guess it's your field."

Prisma, Avian, Burstinatrix, and Wroughtweiller returned to Jaden's field once more.

"Uh, thanks…" Jaden said, drawing. He wondered why Dox had given him four monsters.

"Trap open!" Para exclaimed, "Battle Mania changes all your monsters into attack mode, and forces them to attack on the next turn if they can. Did you think that you had a free shield?"

'Not good…If all five of Jaden's monsters attack Dark Guardian, they'll end up losing the duel, even with Syrus's Life Force to protect them.' Zane analyzed, hoping that Jaden had something up his sleeves.

"I activate Burst Impact! Now, I can destroy every monster on the field, except Burstinatrix, and for every monster destroyed the owner takes 300 points of damage!" Jaden declared.

Burstinatrix was enveloped by a red glow, before the hero burst into intense flames that covered the field.

Steamroid, Prisma, Wroughtweiller, Avian, and Sparkman was destroyed on their side of the field, while Dark Guardian was destroyed on the other side.

Jaden/Syrus 350

Paradox Brothers 1375

"Now your field is wide open," Jaden declared, ready to finish this duel once in for all. "Burstinatrix attack them directly!"

"Yes, yes, yes! I'm so proud of him!" Mindy squealed.

"Go Jaden! Go Syrus!" Jasmine cheered them on.

The whole stadium was on their feet, as they got ready to celebrate Jaden and Syrus's victory with a standing ovation. They had somehow done found a way.

The hero threw a fire ball both brothers, but they refused to flinch.

Jaden/Syrus 350

Paradox Brothers 1375

"No way…" Syrus expressed in disbelief, "I thought we had the duel won."

"Burstinatrix's attack points have become zero, because of the effects of Necromancy. When a monster that was special summoned by the spell is destroyed from the field, all other face-up monsters lose 600 attack points until the end phase." Para grinned.

"You almost had us for that you deserve high praise!" Dox chimed in.

Para drew, as he continued to speak, "I'm sorry, but your dream is now over. You won't beat us today. You won't beat us ever. I activate Dark Element from my hand, and Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment from the field. Do you know what that means?"

"We will explain it to you teens!"

"Pikeru's Circle makes sure we don't take any effect damage until the end of the turn, meaning that we don't have to pay half our life-points to activate Dark Element!"

"I thought you needed Gate Guardian in your graveyard to activate Dark Element… Last I checked there was a Gate Guardian in Dox's grave, not yours." Jaden argued.

"You fool! When my brother used Ragieki Break, he had to discard a card. He discarded Gate Guardian. That's definite!" Dox answered.

Ragieki Break was the card they used to destroy Shining Flare Wingman… How did they remember what card they discarded all the way back then? Were they planning this all along?

Another Dark Guardian loomed over Jaden, ready to chop Burstinatrix in half. (ATK 3800/DEF 3450)

"Dark Guardian will attack!" The creature crawled towards Burstinatrix at a terrifying pace, as its axe dropped towards the hero.

"Reverse card open!" Jaden countered, "Hero Barrier negates your attack just once, if I control an Elemental Hero."

Syrus let out a sigh of relief. They were holding on, but just barely.

"I will end my turn, you lucky goose," Para expressed.

"We won't stop, and a win we will produce."

"It's my move." Syrus drew. The duel was coming to an end. He could feel it. "Jaden, I just wanted to tell you I'm glad I met you. You gave me the courage to believe in myself, and we shared so many great moments together…I feel like this duel is coming to an end, and I wouldn't have my last duel at the academy with anyone else."

"I'm glad I met you too…" Jaden muttered, his eyes hidden under his hair, "I'm glad that someone as weak as I am could inspire you to become something so great. I'm really proud of you, bro."

"Win or lose, I'm going to stand my ground," Syrus resolved.

"I wouldn't expect any less from you," Jaden said silently, before his brown eyes glistened with determination, "This won't be our last duel. I'll make sure of it."

"Good," Syrus smiled, prepared himself for the final stretch of the duel, "I summon Shuttleroid in defense mode!"

A cartoonish airplane stood on its rear wheels, staring down Dark Guardian. (ATK 1000/DEF 1200)

"It's your turn, Dox," Syrus ended. He had done all he could. Now it was up to Jaden to finish what he started.

Dox drew Thunder of Ruler into his hand. It was the first trap card his brother had played in this duel, and it would keep Jaden from attacking next turn.

He had to admit that the two opponents had clearly impressed him. They were two very talented duelists, and they were pushing Para and he to their limits. They had a bright future, and Dox could see them competing in the pro leagues in the future. If they improved their skills at the academy their potential was limitless. Even so it wasn't that simple.

They had to win the duel. Otherwise, they would be expelled. That didn't mean Dox had any intention of losing though.

"You have earned my respect I admit. You two don't know when to quit, and that's quite impressive. I wish you the best in the future, but for now prepare to lose."

"We can't lose this duel. In fact, we refuse."

"I will set a face-down card." Dox continued.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!" Syrus interjected, as a tornado appeared on the field moving towards the face-down card. The tornado took the face-down card with it.

"No! Not Thunder of Ruler! It's going to the graveyard…" Para trailed.

"I end my turn…" Dox clenched his hands into fists, visibly shaking.

"Don't worry brother. They still have to get through Dark Guardian, who will make them burn."

"Stop with the rhyming brother. We have to focus. We're losing."

"Initially, we were cruising."

"Shut up!"

"Suck it up, buttercup."

"Never mind…"

"It is a grind!"

Jaden shook his head, chuckling at their exchange. He then collected himself, taking a deep breath.

His hand flew across his face, holding his next card.

He smirked. This duel was over.

"I summon Elemental Hero Clayman in attack mode!" Jaden declared. A giant man in a clay body found its place next to Burstinatrix. (ATK 800/DEF 2000)

'What are you planning?' Zane thought to himself. Clayman was clearly too weak to attack Dark Guardian.

"I activate Tag Request! Now I can special summon an Elemental Hero from my hand with the same amount of attack points as Clayman, so come forth Elemental Hero Bubbleman in attack mode!" Jaden continued, as the light-blue batman materialized before his eyes. (ATK 800/DEF 1200)

Crowler began to howl in laughter, clutching on to his stomach. "What a fool! Those pathetic monsters can't destroy Dark Guardian! He's lost it! Look everyone, the kid who beat me is a fraud! Just look at how pathetic his monsters are, and he summoned them in attack mode too! Priceless!"

"Reverse card open…" Jaden articulated slowly, "I can only activate this card if there's a wind, earth, water, and fire monster on my field…"

"Wind monster?" Syrus wondered out loud.

"Look in front of you, Sy. Shuttleroid is a wind monster." Jaden explained, as Syrus nodded in response, "I can tribute all four of the monsters on our fields to destroy every card on yours!"

Burstinatrix, Bubbleman, Shuttleroid, and Clayman all exploded into vortexes of fire, water, wind, and mud. Each vortex collided with Dark Guardian, causing the monster to explode and vanish from the field.

Jaden held a single card in his hand, as he stared at the Paradox Brothers. His gaze refused to waver. "I activate my spell card: Miracle Fusion! I banish my Avian, Sparkman, and Bubbleman from my graveyard to fusion summon Elemental Hero Tempest!"

A muscular hero in blue armor emerged on the field. Its long green mullet ran down its neck, as a cobalt visor covered its face. There was grey object attached to one if its wrist that was shaped like a car vacuum, while three sharp claws were strapped on to its other wrist. The hero spread its large wings, as it loomed over the Paradox Brothers. (ATK 2800/DEF 2800)

"No…It can't be…" Dox stammered.

"I think I need to pee!" Para interjected.

"Not the time Para! You need to stop rhyming."

"I don't want to throw off our timing!"

"Ugh, can't you see! They beat us. We lost bro!"

"How did you let that happen? You're supposed to be a pro!"

"It was your fault if anything, can you please stop rhyming?!"

"I told you I don't want to throw off our timing!"

The hero adjusted its vacuum towards the brothers, as Jaden yelled, "Tempest attack!"

The vacuum released a blue beam of light that blasted towards the brothers. The light made contact with them, causing the field to explode in holographic smoke.

There was a sudden silence that filled the stadium, even after the smoke had subsided. It was the kind of silence that lasted only for a single moment, as everyone froze in shock at what had just happened. When the silence broke, things would never be the same.

History had been made.

Jaden/Syrus 350

Paradox Brothers 0

They had done the impossible. They had scrapped out a win and were one step closer to the pro leagues. They had won.

The crowd exploded into cheers, quickly getting up on their feet, as they clapped for Jaden and Syrus. They didn't stop clapping, looking at the two duelists in awe and admiration.

Syrus slowly turned towards Jaden, as his fists pumped into the air. They had done it.

"YES! YES! FUCK YES! WE'RE NOT GOING HOME!" Syrus exploded, as he ran towards Jaden embracing his partner.

Zane shook his head, as continued to clap. He didn't know that Syrus could be so rowdy and loud. He would have to talk to his brother about watching his language though, but that was for another time. They deserved to celebrate.

Mindy ran on to the stage, squeezing Jaden into a bone crushing hug. Words could not express how happy she was. She was glad that Jaden wasn't going home. She hoped that they could spend more time together.

"Aw, come on! Where's my hug?" Syrus complained, before Chumley sneaked up behind him, wrapping his burly arms around the scrawny boy. Syrus let out a scream, as he could hardly breathe in the older boy's arms.

Jaden then put an arm around Mindy, bringing her closer to him. He was glad that he didn't have to leave her and all of his friends. She flushed at this, as Jaden chucked at his friends' little exchange.

"Bullshit!" Crowler shrieked, as he walked towards the Paradox Brothers, "I will not have this! You two are supposed to be professional duelists! What the hell happened out there?"

"They were lucky. They drew the right cards at the right time. If we dueled again, we would beat them no problem." Para explained.

"Even so, you have to give credit where it's due. They were good enough to capitalize on their luck. I don't get why you're trying to expel those two. They're work very well together, and their talent is undeniable." Dox added.

"It must have been a fluke! These two are slackers! They're supposed to be the worst duelists at the school!" Crowler let out.

"Well, maybe they got so good, because of your great teaching." Para patted the man on the back, before waving at the crowd one last time.

"Thank you for having us, by the way." Dox said, as the two slowly walked off the stage.

"Wait, what happened to your rhyming?" Crowler asked.

"Oh, we only rhyme when we duel. It's a gig." Para called out.

"B-but what about your panic attack?" Crowler demanded, "That was a gig too?"

"Yeah, we don't care if we win or lose. This is just an exhibition." Dox laughed, "I was just putting on a show for the crowd!"

Crowler then stamped his foot on the ground in rage, before storming out of the stadium. "BULLSHIT!"

Midori watched Crowler from the stands, giggling at his reaction. She felt a tinge of pride as Jaden waved at the crowd. The audience responded with a deafening roar.

He had grown up so much, and she was so proud of person that he had become.

"I can't believe we did it, Jay," Syrus panted, catching his breath.

"You know what, Sy. We make a pretty good team," Jaden said, as he fell on the ground exhausted.

The school was cheering his name. Syrus and he could stay at the school. Things were good. Jaden hoped that things could stay that way.

* * *

 _Kagemaru,_

 _Are you sure the chairman can be trusted?_

 _-Lyman_

"The Shadow Riders?" Alexis wondered out loud, "What does this even mean?"

"I don't know." Bastion shook his head. They were scrolling through the professor's email, and most of the messages were very cryptic and hard to understand.

It seemed that Banner exchanged most of his emails with a man named Kagemaru, who Bastion recognized as the chairman of Duel Academy.

 _Lyman,_

 _I trust the chairman very much, and he is more than capable of leading the Shadow Riders. Please tell him about the location of the Spirit Keys._

 _-Kagemaru_

"Who the hell is this chairman they keep talking about, what exactly are a Shadow Rider and a Spirit Key?" Alexis asked to no one in particular.

Bastion didn't respond. His eyes stared at the screen, where he had opened up another email that was supposedly sent a few months back.

 _Lyman,_

 _I have sent a man known as the chairman to lead the Shadow Riders. He needs a place to hide until we decide our next course of action. I advise using the second blue dorm._

 _There are ruins in the island that lead to a spirit world. Please transfer the students at this dorm to this realm._

 _Kagemaru_

Alexis's eyes widened, as she stood up on her feet. "We have to go to the ruins now."

Bastion was silent, trying to piece things together but to no avail. They needed more information. They couldn't impulsively act without knowing what they were dealing with.

"No, it's too dangerous." Bastion asserted.

"Don't you see what this email says? My brother and the other students are at the ruins!"

"No, they are at some realm known as the spirit world, according to this email. I don't know even know what that means, but until we can figure it out. We're not going anywhere."

"Atticus needs me, Bastion…" Alexis asserted through gritted teeth, "You can't stop me from going."

"Atticus is missing, Alexis. He is not at the ruins. If he was really there, don't you think he could find his way back to the school?" Bastion reasoned, "From what we know so far, professor Banner kidnapped these students and took them to the ruins. This email says that they were to be transported to some sort of spirit world, but a spirit world does not exist. Thus, I think it could be a code for death…"

Alexis's hand then flew across the air, hitting Bastion across the face. With tears in her eyes, she shot back, "Atticus is not dead!"

"I'm not saying that's necessarily true. It's a possibility, but we can't know for sure until we have more information." Bastion said slowly.

"I'm going to the ruins, and you can't stop me," She exclaimed, walking towards the door.

Bastion let out a cry of frustration at how foolish and unreasonable Alexis was being, and at not being able to piece anything together. If anything he had more questions now than he had before.

The boy quickly got up, and planted himself in front of the door. He grabbed her by her shoulders, bringing her close to him.

He whispered in a grave tone, "This is life and death we're talking about. Banner could have murdered those students. We can't take it lightly…"

She tugged on his shirt, shaking fiercely, "Let go of me Bastion. I don't care. I'm still going to the ruins."

"What if Banner killed your brother?" Bastion breathed, "What would you do then?"

Alexis bit her lips, shaking ever so slightly, as she glared at the boy, "Fuck you, Bastion."

"I'd rather have you hate me than get hurt, or even killed at that. Banner could be a criminal, and so could Kagemaru and whoever this chairman person is." Bastion said, "The Island isn't safe, and we can't just go rushing in and getting ourselves in danger."

Alexis was then enveloped by a celestial white glow, as she felt something dark growing within her.

"Atticus needs my help…I don't know what happened to him, but if we wait any longer we could be too late. How can you risk losing my brother like that?" Her voice echoed across the room in a low and cold tone that sent shivers down Bastion's spine.

"I-I-I'm just being rational…" Bastion told her, trying his best to remain composed.

The white glow grew brighter, as her hands wrapped around his neck, pushing him against the wall.

"I don't care who it is. It could be Banner, Kagemaru, or even you. If you stand in my way, you will be destroyed." Alexis uttered, as her grip around his neck tightened.

"S-s-snap out of it Alexis…Y-you're c-choking me." Bastion managed, shaking in fear. He noticed how her voice had shifted into a dark tone.

Her grip grew even tighter, her nails boring into the skin of his neck. Bastion's eyes widened, as he found that he couldn't breathe any more. His heartbeat grew quicker, in a desperate attempt fight the suffocation.

Alexis's hazel eyes twisted in a sadistically, as she watched Bastion squirm. His neck was bleeding, as her nails pierced through it. He was so helpless. She felt a tinge of satisfaction growing within her. It made her grin how he was struggling.

"P-please…" Bastion choked.

All of a sudden, the glow around her vanished, as her grip around his neck loosened. She watched in shock, as the stream of blood on Bastion's neck trickled on to his jacket, as his eyes looked at her in horror.

"B-b-bastion…I'm so sorry…" Alexis said quietly, staring in shock over what she had just done.

* * *

 **What did you think? Good Bad? Please review and tell me what you guys think.**

 **Here are some answers to questions:**

 **Blair, Aster, and Hassleberry will not be in this story. They will be in the sequel, if I get that far.**

 **Zane and the Cyberdark cards will also be an element of the sequel.**

 **As for Syrus, he will improve, like he did this chapter.**

 **Crowler will be dueling in chapter 9.**

 **As for the inter school dueling plot and Bastion's deck, you'll just have to wait and see.**

 **Viper and Bonaparte will not be in this story. Mr. Ryuga will show up for a little bit in the future.**

 **The cosplay duel tournament will be in the story, but I'm not going to make a huge deal out of it. It'll probably be just a filler. There will be more than one duel in the tournament, although I might only write one in detail.**

 **Chazz will be returning, as to when I don't want to reveal anything.**

 **I hope the next chapter will be up within 2 weeks. I know the next one is going to be pretty long as well, so it might take a bit more than that, depending on how much time I have.**


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